Impossible Love
by YuriYaoiHet Ilove'emall
Summary: Inuyasha is given a young miko at the request of his father. He is to mate with her and breed a new string of warriors for the Inu Clan of the West. Neither of them are happy with the idea. MAJOR REWRITE IN PROGRESS! I'm going back and fixing my many mistakes before I continue this story. I'm sorry for the wait but it has to be done. I'll explain more in-story.
1. Chapter 1

Impossible Love

Chap One

YuriYaoiHet_Iloveemall!

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha would I be writing fanfiction?

A/N: Sorry if you guys thought this was a new chapter, but in a way it is. IMPORTANT NOTE AT END OF CHAPTER!

Prince Inuyasha sniffed the air around the youkai café and smiled. He'd found what he'd been looking for. He rocked back on his heels on the branch, pleased with himself, before dropping to the ground. He stood up with a fluid-like grace and perked his silvery dog ears to pick up any sounds from inside. Cafés like this were becoming more and more common as weaker youkai conformed to ningen ways, but youkai were still at heart a bloodthirsty race. The thought made him smirk as he thought back on his own clan and their triumphs on the battlefield. Finding nothing threatening, he walked to the doorway and passed through the hanging reeds.

The entire cafe went quiet as he stepped inside. All the youkai turned to size up the newcomer. He smirked, flashing his fangs and strolled to a booth in the corner and sat down, giving each youkai an angry glare. A few of the weakest ones got up, paid and left and the rest went back to their various platters of half cooked or still bloody meat.

Just then a female fox youkai walked through the reeds the blocked off the kitchen, balancing a tray of meat on each shoulder, one in each hand and one on her head. Inuyasha smirked and swished his long silvery hair to get her attention. She's masked her scent well and that's not a bad disguise, he thought. She stilled when she saw him. She then sent him a glare.

He smirked and sent her an annoyingly innocent look. Her eyes narrowed and she went about serving the other youkai customers. Without a word to him she walked back into the kitchen, her bushy tail swishing in annoyance. A few minutes later she was back with a glass of water and a platter of raw rabbit meat.

"How considerate of you . . ." He whispered mockingly, for her ears only ". . . and it's my favorite, too."

She glared again. "Asshole."

"Oh, but aren't we feisty today." He loved to annoy her. "By the way, you masked your scent well and that foxy body isn't all that bad either." He reached behind her and brushed her tail. "That tail's a nice touch, though it does entice exploration as to what it covers." He placed a hand on her rounded ass.

She tensed. "Just you wait, bastard. Just you wait."

He chuckled darkly. "Careful, Kagome. I'm not sure it's good for your pay to be threatening customers."

She growled and he squeezed her butt check. She jerked away and stormed back into the kitchen. He smiled and started to eat. No use in letting good food go to waste, he reasoned.

He ate slowly and finished his glass of water long before he was done. Without a word she switched it with a full one, receiving a satisfied smirk and a pinch on the ass. He continued to eat at the same pace and soon only he and a lone wolf youkai were left. The wolf's youki barely registered to Inuyasha's senses, so he figured Kagome would be safe while he took a tiny nap to digest his meal. He'd wait for her to get done before taking her back to the Western Lands. He got up and headed towards the door.

"Would you like anything else, Kouga-san?" Kagome asked the wolf youkai in a fake cheery voice.

He looked up at her and smiled slowly. "Hai. I would." In a flash his arms were around her. Before she could even draw breath she was on her back on the counter and he was over her.

"What-?" She started to ask.

He covered her mouth with a strong hand. "I'd like you." He said in a throaty voice.

Her eyes went wide as he bent to nuzzle her neck. She started to struggle against him, knowing that her weak ningen strength could never budge him. She could suddenly feel his youki, more powerful than before and realized that he'd been masking his energy. The question was, why? What did he want from her?

A deep part of her responded to his youki. Her miko powers wanted to fight against the energy washing over her, but she reined it in in the last second. Her miko powers would tire her out and they weren't that powerful. The last thing she wanted to do was faint in this particular youkai's arms.

He nuzzled between her breasts and she decided to risk it. She brought her right hand up and focused on gathering her energy in her palm. Kouga began to cut through her shirt and she brought her hand to his side. She hesitated for only a moment before unleashing her power into his side. He was thrown sideways off of her and onto the floor. Immediately, she felt drained, but at least she was safe for the moment. That amount of power should have rendered him unconscious. She tried to force her suddenly weary body to sit up.

She froze when she heard a growl from below her. Oh, Kami, no! Kouga suddenly loomed over her. Fear lanced through her at the murderous look in his blood red eyes.

"You, bitch!" He slapped her, sending her flying off the other side of the counter and head first into the wall. "I'll show you to refuse me!" He walked to her and straddled her, ripping off her shirt and bra.

Kagome fought to stay conscious, but the force of his blows and using her Miko powers made it difficult. She screamed inarticulately as her vision faded to black.

"INUYASHA!"

So basically, I actually went back and read my story from start to finish and I am appalled by the amount of mistakes that somehow managed to leak through. It made me wince, literally, so I have to fix this before I can post chapter eighteen. I have been so busy with my full time career and my family and friends drama, (along with a few disastrous relationships) that I lost my will to write. I am officially back in the game!


	2. Chapter 2

Impossible Love

Chap 2

YuriYaoiHet Iloveemall!!!

Here's the next one. Thank you all so much!!!! I was really afraid that you guys weren't going to like this story. I'm glad you do.

Note: I don't know where I came up with these names, but I'm not changing them. Just bear with me. Oh and thanks for the spellcheck on "Youkai". I feel kind've emarrased now. anyways R&R

Enjoy!

* * *

Inuyasha leapt up into a tree after leaving the cafe . He was full and content to laze around until Kagome was done. Then he'd take her back to the castle.

His father had given him the Miko Kagome as a gift for his entrance into adulthood. He was now seventy-five and ready to begin acting like a prince instead of a child. Usually, a youkai was not considered an adult until he was at least one-hundred years old, but since he was a hanyou, his father thought it right that he should begin early. He was to mate with Kagome and give the Inu clan a strong quarter youkai soldier.

He snorted at the thought. He was a hanyou and the rest of his clan was full youkai, including his bastard brother, Sesshomaru, and his sister, Iyayuma, and yet he was the strongest of them. It was he who led the armies to victory against the bear clan. He who protected them all from the cobra youkai and he'd only been forty-three!

He was held at a respectful level above his siblings and age mates. He had even been given a powerful sword made from his father's fang; The Tetsiaga. His brother had been given one, too, but the Tenseiga could only heal.

Most hanyou were shunned or killed along with their parents, but he was accepted and his mother, a ningen named Migumi, was treated with the respect of an alpha female along with his sibling's mother, Soisayinu. They even tolerated the ningen warriors and their youkai pets that lived nearby.

But to bring a quarter youkai into the clan would mean devastation! The entire youkai world would be against the Inu clan. Hanyou's could sometimes be tolerated by both ningens and youkai, but the line was drawn at a quarter youkai. A being with three quarters ningen blood and one quarter of youkai blood. It was blasphemous just to speak of them!

Kagome's aura spiked and flared suddenly, jerking him out of his thoughts. It died back down and he calmed. What in the hell is she doing? He then heard a male yell. He then heard a crash and he cocked his head in confusion. He then heard

"INUYASHA!"

He leapt from the tree and ran through the reeds at the door so quickly they were blasted and broken as they hit his body. He looked around and saw something that made his anger flare to a level he'd never known. He snarled.

The wolf youkai was ravishing a barley conscious Kagome's breasts. Her hands were pinned beneath her and her mouth was covered by his hand. He was currently tearing her underwear off of her and then reached for the junction of her thighs.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Inuyasha leaped forward and sent a crushing kick to the side of the wolf youkai's head. The youkai flew trough the wall and Inuyasha knelt to Kagome.

"I . . . I . . ." She fainted. Her disguise disappeared, wavering to show her true appearance. It was not a pretty sight.

He growled and reached for her, trying to ignore the naked perfection of her breasts, but failing. He growled again and laid her back down. He then took of the top porting of his fire-rat hoari and wrapped her in it before standing.

He darted outside and started towards the castle in the Western Lands. She'd been traveling south towards the Bone-Eaters Well. Ever since she'd been captured she'd been trying to go home.

The strange thing was, her home wasn't in this time. It was in the future. She could somehow travel through time from Sengoku Jiidai to the future.

The first time she'd passed through she'd been 14 and she'd found her way to a nearby village. When she got there, she'd found an Ape youkai attacking the villagers and she'd rushed to help, not caring if she'd been hurt. He'd lashed out at them and she'd wanted to protect them.

By instinct, she'd raised her hands and cast a powerful shield around the entire village. She'd then picked up a stray bow and arrow and had fired with all of her energy and anger. Her arrow passed through her shield and had blown the ape to bits. She'd single-handedly taken down the leader of the ape clan.

She'd fainted on the spot and had slept for almost a week. When she'd awoken, she'd told them how she'd gotten there. An elderly Miko, named Keade, had taken the girl under her wing and taught her how to better control her powers. She then went back to the well, with promises to return. By then, of course, the youkai in all of Japan had found out about her and had come after her, either to kill her, mate her, or use her. She'd managed to cast a small shield around herself and had passed through the well.

She stayed gone for a few months, almost a year before she decided to come back. By then, most of the youkai had given up; his father hadn't. She'd come back through the well and had started towards the village. His father caught her by surprise and had knocked her out. Then he'd taken her back to the castle and put her in a private room.

The first thing she'd done upon awakening was try to escape. His father had placed two members of the clan to watch the door at all times. They were to let her leave, but ask were she was going and notify his father immediately. He'd stopped her from leaving the area immediately around the castle, but had otherwise allowed her to go free and always had guards with her to protect her.

His mother, Migumi, eventually gained her trust after about a year of trying. She'd found that the girl was miserable without her family. She'd then come to him and begged him to try to befriend her. He'd never even seen her, but a few times so, naturally, he refused, but only the first two or three hundred times. He finally complied with her wishes. He'd regretted it.

~~***~~***~~***

Flash Back

~~***~~***~~***

Inuyasha approached her the next day in the clearing next to the lake outside. She always went there when she wanted to think or to be alone, or so his mother had told him. She was sitting in a tree looking out over the sparkling water. He looked around at the guards hiding in the bushes and trees around them and nodded them off. As soon as he was sure they were alone, he cleared his throat to get her attention.

She turned slowly towards him and he was struck speechless for a moment. She was the most beautiful ningen he'd ever seen. The glistening water behind her cast a glow over her features and a light wind stirred her long black hair just enough to make it glisten in the sunlight. She looked equally stunned by him. Her speechlessness suddenly turned to uncertainty. She pushed off from the branch and landed gracefully on her feet facing him. Her eyes narrowed and she studied him crucially.

"Who are you?" She asked in an accusing tone.

"Inuyasha." He started to step closer, but she held up a hand, signaling for him to stop.

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" She scoffed.

"Why would I be lying?" He asked slowly, trying to keep a tight reign on his temper.

She laughed cruelly. "I suppose you're going to tell me that you're one of them, right?"

"I am one of them."

"Ha! That's a laugh! Do you really think I'm that stupid?" She glared at him. "I didn't live with these youkai for two years and not study them. You don't even look like the rest of them. They don't have inu ears."

His ears flattened to his head and he growled. "I'm a hanyou. Do you have a problem with that?" He snapped.

She looked shocked and he turned away, so she wouldn't see how she'd hurt him. He didn't know why it hurt so much that she didn't accept him, but it did. She saw a look of dejection flash across his face and she suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to fix it.

"Gomen. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Yes you did. You think I'm an abomination." He growled, turning away.

"No! I would never say something like that." She looked down. "I was just shocked. I always thought that hanyou were . . . killed." She whispered the last word.

He spun on her snarling and started towards her. "So you think I should be dead? You think I shouldn't be allowed to live?" She backed away from him and into the tree behind her. "You think you're better than I am because your blood isn't mixed! Is that it?!" He raised a fist, as if to hit her.

She was shaking her head wildly, her eyes wide with fear. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the blow she was sure to receive. She felt the tree beside her head explode and she screamed.

She was still for a moment, before realizing that she was still alive. She opened her eyes and saw Inuyasha's shocked face and glance to the side to find his fist buried into the tree not even an inch from her head. Relief flooded over her and she felt tears coming on.

She fought to contain them, not wanting to cry. Inuyasha moved, pulling back his fist and she squeezed her eyes back shut. She quietly sobbed and muttered a prayer under her breath, sure that he was going to finish the job.

Inuyasha stared at his fist for a moment before looking up at Kagome. Her skin was pale and she was shaking with fear and sobs. He heard her mutter a few broken prayers under her breath and sobs. Her fingernails were digging into the bark and the smell of her fear and tears was overwhelming him. Not because of their unpleasantness, but because he had caused them. He was blown backwards with the realization.

"Oh, Kami . . ." he whispered. "Kagome, I . . . I . . . Gomen." He darted away into the trees.

~~***~~***~~***

End Flash Back

~~***~~***~~***

Inuyasha shuddered. He hated the memory of that day. He'd nearly killed her. He looked down at the girl in his arms and winced.

There were three nasty gashes from Kouga's claws. Blood was running from the side of her moth and a large bruise was beginning to form over the left side of her face in general. He growled. If I ever see that wolf again, I'll kill him.

He ran on for a little bit, but soon the smell of her blood started to get to him. He landed on the forest floor and crouched low, sniffing. He then kicked up from the ground in a mighty leap, sailing high into the air. He quickly scanned the area around him and spotted a few hot springs in the distance.

He set off at a fast pace, not leaping, but running. As he ran, he sniffed the air around him, searching for the herbs he needed. He needed to find something to make a poultice for her bruise and something to keep the gashes from getting infected.

"There!" He darted to the left and into a small clearing.

He smiled at his good fortune. All of the herbs he needed were right here. He maneuvered Kagome so that he could hold her with one arm and picked a few of each kind. He then maneuvered her back and put the herbs on her stomach, before darting towards the hot spring.

When he reached it, he laid her down on a relatively level spot and snorted, shaking his head violently. The smell of her blood was driving him crazy. Why does the smell of her blood do this to me?!

"Fucking wolf!" He yelled to no one in particular. "This entire thing is his fault."

He then looked around for the things he needed to prepare the poultice. He found everything he needed and set the herbs near it. Then came the problem of getting water from the spring to the supplies. Damn it! I need something. He racked his brain in thought.

He looked over at Kagome. She wore nothing but his fire rat top and a skirt modeled from the one she was wearing when he first saw her. It was tattered and torn and it looked as if it couldn't even be salvaged by even his mother.

"I'm probably going to get it, but she needs a poultice and I can't make it with out water. Besides, she's got twenty of those things anyway." He muttered aloud to himself.

He walked over to her and knelt beside her. With one quick motion of his hand, he tore the skirt off of her and then quickly covered her with his haori. His face turned almost the color of the Fire-rat top.

He set to work on the poultice.

Read and review!!!!!! If I don't get a lot of reviews then I won't continue.


	3. Chapter 3

Impossible Love

Chap 3

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all! I'm so glad that you like my story. This one's gonna branch off a little bit, but you'll see why in the next one. Oh and Lemony thoughts were with me when I wrote this chap. There isn't a real lemon, though. You'll see what I mean.

* * *

Inuyasha looked over at the sleeping Kagome. She'd been asleep for three days now and he was getting worried, but was afraid to move her much until she woke up. He growled and looked down at the poultice he was preparing. This would be the third one. Her bruises and gashes still looked nasty and she had them all over her body.

He groaned at the thought of putting it on her again. He would have to unwrap her from the haori to put it on a few of them and they were in the most interesting of places. He suddenly couldn't get a comfortable seat.

There are times when a man's hormones got out of control and this was one of them. He growled and continued on the poultice. That stupid wench! Why won't she wake up? He thought looking up at her.

He finally finished the poultice and scooped some up with his hand, then stood to walk over to her. He knelt beside her and stayed like that for a moment, before grabbing the end of the haori and uncovering her. He felt his face flush and he growled again. Stop acting like a child, He berated himself, it's not like you've never seen a naked female before!

He looked over her body and had to admit that she was much more gloriously proportioned than most he'd seen. He had to wonder with she'd stopped being that scrawny little wench and had grown into this beautiful woman. Well, he'd always thought she was beautiful, but know she was gorgeous.

Her skin was light and fit her like a glove. Her face was slender and her cheeks were high and well defined. Her eyebrows were finely arched and the same ebony color of her hair. He let his gaze flow down her body to her legs. They were long, slender and finely muscled; they were the kind of legs that could wrap around a man's waist and hold on, no matter how rough the ride.

He jerked back and shook his head to clear it of the images that suddenly flowed through his mind. Images of those legs wrapped around his waist as he pounded into the sweet opening between them. He glared down at her. How dare she make him feel that way towards her!

Yes, she belonged to him and had belonged to him for a little over a year now, but he still couldn't see himself actually mating her. If he did, then his father's dream would come true and he'd be the cause of the Inu clan's destruction. He couldn't bring himself to do that.

Damn you, wench! He thought angrily. Why does she have to seem so appealing to me?

He finally dipped his fingers into the poultice and ignored the demands of his body. The sooner he got the poultice on her, the better. He started to dab it on a particularly bad gash above her left breast.

Kagome's eyes slowly drifted open and she tried to make sense of the fuzzy world around her. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. She could now make out someone leaning over her and after a few more blinks, she identified this person as Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha . . ." She whispered, wincing at the pain of her jaw.

He jerked back, blushing wildly. "K-Kagome, y-you're awake!"

"What happened?" She whispered, trying to ignore the pain.

He growled and clenched his fists. "That damn wolf beat you and then I beat the shit out of him. I should've killed the bastard."

She nodded sleepily. So tired, She thought. "What were you doing?" He gave her a confused look. "Just then."

"Oh . . . I was . . . uh . . . I was . . . p-putting a p-poultice on your w-wounds." He stammered.

"Oh, okay." She yawned and couldn't stop the squeak of pain as her jaw protested the movement with vengeance.

"Are you alright?" He quickly knelt beside her and put a hand to her uninjured shoulder.

At the touch of his hand on the bare skin of her shoulder, she realized something. She was lying on his fire-rat gi, butt naked. "YOU HEANTAI!!!" She started to slap him, but a jolt of pain ran through her body and she cried out.

"What happened? What's wrong?" He leaned closer to her.

"It h-hurts!

"Stupid wench! I told you he beat the hell out of you! You should've stayed still!" He started to put the poultice covered hand on her shoulder.

"Stay away from me, bastard!" She tried to sit up, only to cry out in pain and fall backwards sobbing.

He snarled. "Who do you think has been taking care of you for the past three days, huh?! KAMI?! No! It was me! I been bustin' my as protecting you, cooking, keeping you dry and shaded, feeding you and gathering herbs to treat you and preparing them! FOR THREE FUCKING DAYS! You had me worried you weren't going to get up. And my reward is a slap and you refusing my help and calling me names?!" He snorted and looked away. "I don't understand you ningens. You'd rather die than owe anyone anything. Especially a half-breed or a youkia." He glared down at her. "Now, if you don't lie still, I'll knock you out, and then treat your wounds!" He raised his hand and growled. She squeezed her eyes shut and went still, except for her trembles of sobs and fear. He put a mental reign on his temper. "Gomen. I'm only trying to help you." He whispered. He started to rub the poultice on and she tensed when he touched the gash on her left breast. "Don't worry. If I'd wanted to, I could have taken you already. Heaven knows I've wanted to." He whispered, not realizing he'd said it out loud.

Her eyes flew open in surprise and she looked at him. His body was tense and his eyes, darker than usual, were a deep molten gold. She glared at him. He was lusting for her.

"So I've been asleep and you've been lusting for me and I'm supposed to believe that you didn't take advantage of me?!"

He growled and got a dark look on his face. Suddenly, he was straddling her and his face was inches from hers. He held his body up, so that he wouldn't hurt her. She gasped when she felt the hard rise of his body against her abdomen. His chest brushed across her nipples every time he or she breathed and she couldn't help but think it felt delicious. His warm breath washed over her lips and he looked deep into her eyes.

He leaned down further and breathed into her ear. "You've been mine for a year now, Kagome. I could take you anytime I please. I haven't even marked you yet."

"M-marked me?" She asked in a whisper.

"Hai. My mark on you would be a sign to all that you're mine and then no one would even dream of touching you." He started tracing the lines of her ear with his tongue.

She shivered delicately and closed her eyes. He nibbled lightly on her earlobe and then started kissing down her neck. Is he going to do it, Kagome thought frantically. As if he could read her mind he whispered, "This might sting."

He suddenly bit down on her shoulder, his fangs piercing the soft skin and she clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. He pulled back from the wound and lapped at the blood as it ran free, until it stopped bleeding. He then kissed it and muttered a spell under his breath.

"To those who now see,

This girl belongs to me,

She is mine for eternity,

This girl belongs to me."

He got off of her and went to get the rest of the poultice. Kagome lay wide-eyed, wondering if what he'd said was true. Vaguely, she was aware that she should be angry, but she couldn't remember why.

Inuyasha came back and she looked up at him. "Inuyasha, does this mean . . ."

"You're mine and you'll be mine until the day we're both gone." He knelt beside her. "Now let me treat your wounds."

She nodded and closed her eyes. So now she listens to me, he thought angrily. He growled and glared down at her.

She opened her eyes. "What?"

"Now you listen to me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel safe around you until a few moments ago."

"So I had to make you my mate before you'd trust me?!"

"No! It was what you said before you marked me!"

"So-"

"Inuyasha, please just listen to me!" She yelled and then cried out in pain.

"Don't talk! Gomen! I'll shut up!"

"I-I have t-to tell you some-something." She was cut short by another jolt of pain.

Inuyasha was at a loss. "Kagome! Kagome, listen to me! Stop this! You're just hurting yourself!" She started writhing around and crying out in pain. "I'm taking you back to the Western lands! Iya-Yuma can help you!"

Kagome couldn't think. The pain controlled her thoughts and actions. She couldn't contain her tears and she cried out, just before slipping into unconsciousness.

"KAMI DAMMIT!!!" He wrapped the gi around her and gathered her into his arms. He then kicked off of the ground and started leaping through the trees. "Hold on, Kagome! Please, hold on!"

* * *

Told you it was gonna branch off. R&R.


	4. Chapter 4

Impossible Love

Chap 4

YuirYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll!!!!!

* * *

Pain. That's all she could think about. Kagome's head lolled to the side and she groaned. She vaguely realized that she'd been treated and dressed and was lying on a futon. There were strange noises echoing off of the walls that, after a few moments, could be deciphered as voices.

"How is she?" A male voice asked.

"Oh, Inuyasha! How charming! You care!" A woman's voice said excitedly. "Then I haven't misinterpreted the mating mark on her neck!"

A low growl that she recognized as Inuyasha's, reached her ears. "That's none of your business, Iyayuma!" He snapped.

She laughed. "Fine. It's none of my business, but can you at least tell me that were not the one who gave her those horrific injuries? Or were you that desperate to mate her and she was unwilling?"

"I've told you! It was that damned wolf that gave her those! He did that to her! And if he ever so much as looks at her again I'll . . ." He paused for a moment to get his anger under control. "And as for that mark, I only did that to ensure that he'd never try anything like that again. I did it for her safety!"

"You do know that as long as she remains unmated completely, that she's still in danger?" Iyayuma asked.

There was a deep sigh from Inuyasha. "I know, but I can't mate her! At least not yet!" Their voices faded as they walked on.

Anger suddenly flared inside of Kagome. Argh! That cocky, arrogant, pigheaded son of a bitch! If he thinks that I'll just run into his open arms when he gets ready, then he's got another thing coming! She then put a hand to the junction of her neck and shoulder in shock. The mark! Then it wasn't a dream!

She got up, ignoring her body's painful protests and walked to the large reflector slab in the corner. It was really nothing more than a piece of wood, but the surface had been worn so smooth with sand and so finely polished that she could see her reflection in it.

She quickly moved the collar of the shirt down, wanting to make sure before she got really pissed. There it was; the mating mark. Or at least thats what she thought thecrimson cresent moon on her neck was. She'd never seen one, but she did know that the mark on her neck was not there before. She glared at it with a deep loathing. What in the hell did he think he was doing? She thought angrily. She spun away from the reflector.

"INUYASHA!" She yelled, picking up a vase full of flowers.

He was at her door in an instant. "Kagome! What is it?! What's wrong?!" He leapt aside to dodge the vase. "Oy, wench! What'd you do that for?!" He yelled, dodging a chair.

"You sneaking bastard! How dare you take advantage of me?!" She was throwing every object she could lift at him.

A wooden brush connected with the side of his head. "Ow! Stupid bitch! I never took advantage of you!"

"Hai, you did!"

"No, I didn't! Besides, you didn't seem to be resisting!"

"I was delerious, you hentai!" She screamed, still throwing things at him.

"Would you stop that?!" He yelled, dodging an empty water bucket. "You're gonna hurt yourself!"

"What do you c-" She was cut short by a sudden jolt of pain so intense that it bent her double and brought tears to her eyes.

Without a word, he rushed over and picked her up in his arms. She was so dizzy she couldn't resist him. He laid her down on the futon and sat beside her, until the pain subsided.

"Stupid girl, "He muttered. "I told you that you'd hurt yourself. Why won't you listen to me?" He glared down at her. "Have you changed your mind about trusting me that quickly?"

She was startled by the hurt in his voice and looked up at him. His ears were drooped and he suddenly looked so tired and worried that she almost felt guilty. Is he really upset or is he just trying to confuse me? If he trying the later then he's doing a damn good job of it! She thought angrily.

She glared up at him. "Don't you dare start throwing curves at me, Inuyasha!" She hissed.

He growled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just because you turned out to be the unlikely hero, that doesn't mean I owe you anything."

He jerked back as if she'd slapped him. "What?!" he glared. "I saved your scrawny ass from that rapist wolf! If I hadn't been there you'd be dead right know and then-"

"I never asked for your help!" She interrupted.

"Oh, so I guess I just imagine you screaming my name ?!"

She glared at him. "It's not my fault, it's yours! You keep me locked up here in the Western lands and isolated from the rest of the pack! Even after your father said it was alright if I met some of the clan! Your mother, your father, Iyayuma and you are the only people I know in the whole world!" She suddenly started sobbing. "I can't even remember what my mother and father look like, because you won't even let me see them!" She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.

Inuyasha sat there, appalled. He'd never thought about her family when he'd prevented her from going home. He'd only cared about not letting her leave, because it pained him when she wasn't around, though he'd never admit it.

He looked at the sobbing ebony haired girl and saw her in a new light. He'd always wondered what made her so untrusting and so seemingly emotionless and what had cased her to start acting like that. Now he knew.

He was the cause. He'd unknowingly kept her away from her family and he was the one who decided to keep her in isolation. I really have been a bastard to her, haven't I? He thought mournfully.

He turned her over and gathered her gently into his arms, careful not to hurt her. "Gomen, Kagome, I . . ."

She pushed away from him. "Leave me alone."

"Kagome . . ."

"No!" She lay back down. "I don't want your apologies. I don't want your pity and I don't want your sympathy." She didn't look at him. "I don't want anything to do with you."

"Kagome, please . . ." He whispered desperately.

"Stop!" She glared at him. "Didn't you hear me? I don't want you around me! I don't want to see you! I hate you!" She finished in a yell.

"Why?" He spat. "Just tell me why."

"Why?! Why?!" She sputtered. She sat up and glared at him. "You've already ruined my life enough, that's why! Whenever I'm around you, I get hurt, or shunned, or ridiculed! I don't want a life like that!" She looked away. "If I'm going to be stuck her and secluded from everyone, then . . ." She took a deep breath. ". . . then I want to be secluded from you too."

"W-What?" He stammered.

She looked up at him, her eyes emotionless. "If you can keep me secluded from the rest of the clan, then I'm sure that you can avoid me, too." She said in a voice as emotionless as her eyes.

He looked startled and hurt for a moment, but his expression turned neutral so fast, she wonder if she'd really seen it. He nodded and got up, then walked to the door. "If that's what you wish, then, goodbye, Kagome, love." He shut the door behind him.

* * *

Okay. I know thses chapters seem short, but once I get up to chapter 7 they will get a little longer. Also, after this chapter, I won't be able to post every night anymore. I may go ahead and post the next two chapters tonight. Reveiw and maybe I will.


	5. Chapter 5

Impossible Love

Chapter 5

YuriYoaiHet_ILoveEmAll

* * *

Kagome was unable to move about much while she was healing, so she was still confined to her room. Meanwhile, Iya-yuma kept her constant company and Migumi, Inuyasha's Ningen mother, visited frequently. Kagome worked hard to keep her conflicting emotions hidden from the two. She was hardly able to understand them herself and they were too new, too deep, to show them to anyone yet. Her heart was heavy with guilt, but her stubborness wouldn't allow her to call for Inuyasha and appoligize.

Both the ningen and the youkai were worried for Kagome and both wanted to find out what was wrong. Migumi eventually gave up. Iya-yuma wouldn't let the subject drop. She brought it up at any chance she got.

"Kagome-chan, please tell me what's wrong." The tall Inu youkai pleaded.

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh and looked up at her. Her long silver hair was hanging down her back in a loose braid, done by kagome. She had crimson streaks on either side of her face. A crescent moon symbol stood out on the pale skin of her left cheek, sybolizing both feminity and her family at the same time. Her eyes, like the rest of her family's were golden, but were spotted with flecks of silver and brown, making them appear almost brass.

"Kagome-chan! I won't tell anyone, I promise." She clasped her clawed hands in front of her and her eys got large as she stuck out a trembling lower lip.

Kagome glared at her. "There is nothing wrong with me!" She snapped.

"Hai. There is. You're never like this." Iya-yuma pouted.

Kagome sighed. "I'm just a little emotionally fatigued, Iya-chan. I mean, just look at what all has happened to me in the past few days. I was nearly raped by a wolf youkia and beaten past the point of consciousness!"

"Inuyasha saved you didn't he?"

"Hai. And then he wanted payment for it, the bastard." She growled.

"But he said he only marked you! I never knew that he . . ."

"No! He didn't try anything else! He wanted to, but he didn't. He marked me though and that's bad enough."

"You know he only marked you for you own protection don't you?"

Kagome snorted disbeleivingly." He just wanted to spite me. He said I was his and I'd be his forever. Like I didn't have a say in the matter! Everytime I look at that mark, I'll think of him." She growled. "And that's bad cause the only thing I feel for him right now is anger."

Iya-yuma raised an eyebrow. So that's what happened, She thought. Inuyasha and Kagome had a fight. Her eyes widened. Poor Inuyasha. I'll bet he's ready to forgive her by now, but he's afraid Kagome won't forgive him. She looked over at the ebony-haired girl who was sputtering with an inner rage. I don't think she understands what the mate mark does to youkai. Maybe I should tell her.

"Kagome, do you know wht the purpose of the mate mark is?"

"Hai. It's to show that you're mated."

"That's one purpose, but the real purpose is deeper than that. The mate mark connects two persons in a life long bond. It can't be broken, even if someone else mates you."

Kagome looked confused. "So I'm permenantly connected to Inuyasha through this mark?"

"Hai, but you are a ningen, so it will take a while for the connection to be strong for you. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was been connected to you from the moment his fangs peirced you're skin. Being away from you is probably killing him."

"But we haven't mated!"

"Doesn't matter. Inuyasha has made his commitment to you and he'll stick by it to the death. "Iya-yuma nodded. "And you should thank your lucky stars that Inuyasha has good will power or you'd be mated to him already."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let's put it this way. Inuyasha has been attracted to you from the beginning. That's why he got so hurt and angry the first time you met. He was attracted and he thought you didn't accept him. But anyways, you know that when a youkai male gets angry, he loses control and he might end up killing the someone that he's mad at, right? Well, when they get angry at a female that they're attracted to they usually end up marking them or mating them right then and there. And it's all the same for hanyou males, too."

"But Inuyasha gets mad at me all the time and all he does is grope me or kiss me or theaten me!" Kagome then got a thoughtful look on her face. " All this time I thought that was how all unmated males acted."

"What?! Are you serious?!" Iya-yuma suddenly burst out laughing.

"What?! I've only met two males besides your father and they both mauled me!" Kagome yelled irritably. Iya-yuma howled with laughter and rolled around. She fell to the floor, still laughing. "It's not funny, Iya!" Kagome threw her pillow down on the inu youkai.

She crossed her arms and scowled. I don't see what's so funny, she thought angrily. It only shows that Inuyasha was wrong to keep me secluded. She felt a familiar pang of guilt at the thought of the hanyou's name. Maybe I should appoligize to him. If what Iya-yuma says is true about when he gets angry at me, then I've been blaming him for something I did. She suddenly thought of calling him, but quickly changed her mind. No. I'll find him. I only hope he'll forgive me.

******************************************************************* **********************

Inuyasha walked into the meadow beside the lake. He looked around and saw the tree that Kagome'd been sitting in the day he met her. He walked to it and ran his fingers along the trunk until his fingers met the edge of a hole in it. The place where he's buried his fist. He shuddered at the memory.

He pushed to the back of his mind and untied his Tetsaiga, leaning it against the tree. He then leapt up onto the same branch that she'd occupied and sat there, crouching on all fours. He looked around him. The lake reflected the sunset perfectly and beautifully. The world around him seemed to be glowing.

It should have cheered him up, made him feel happy, but it didn't. He looked up at the real sunset and sighed. Two days, he thought. Two days and I already miss her so badly it hurts. Damn! If only she'd talk to me! Hell, I'd settle with arguing with her. Not to mention that she looks cute with her face flushed like that and her eyes looking like violet ice. He chuckled at his last thought, then sighed again. At least now I can think about her like that and not get angry at myself. His ears drooped sadly. If only she'd forgive me.

He looked up at the sky again mournfully. "Kami, Kagome. If you only knew how sorry I am. I never knew what the results of my actions would be. Never thought about how it might affect you in the long run. Now it's too late, but I swear on anything and everything there is that I'll find a way to make it up to you. I promise my life on it."

******************************************************************* **********************

Kagome limped outside and looked up at the darkening sky. She took a deep breath trying to gather up all of her courage and then started towards the meadow. She'd start there and if all else failed she'd run agian. After some of the things I said, I'll be surprized if he even looks at me when I do find him.

"So I was correct on my assumption that you weren't a youkai at all. You are the miko Kagome." A deep voice said from the shadows.

Kagome gasped and spun around. "W-who's there?"

"Oh. Don't remember me? Maybe I should remind you." A tall figure stood and started to come towards her and stepped into the light. There in the fading light, stood Kouga. Kagome took an involantary step back, her voice deserting her. "Ah, so you do remember me?" He chuckled lightly. "Then that means you remember what you and your prince did to me. Well, I'm here for revenge."He loomed over her menacingly.

Kagome suddenly found her voice and she screamed the only name that came to mind.

"INUYASHA!!!"

******************************************************************* **********************

Inuyasha slid out of the tree and landed gracefully on his feet. I have to see Kagome. He thought. Even if she doesn't want to see me, I have to see her.

"INUYASHA!!!" Kagome's terror filled scream rang through the still air.

"Kagome!" He was off in a flash, his Tetsaiga leaned, forgotten, against the tree. Inuyasha arrived at the castle in enough time to see Kouga throw her over his shoulder. "PUT HER DOWN, YOU MOTHER FUCKING WOLF!" He snarled leaping at Kouga.

He dodged him easily. "YOU WON'T SAVE HER THIS TIME, INU KURRO!" The wolf then landed a powerful kick on the back of the hanyou's neck, sending him flying into one the castle's stone walls, which crumbled under the blow. The rest of the Inu clan appeared, shocked speechless and confused.

"Inuyasha!" Kagom shreiked, seeing Inuyasha crash into the wall. Kouga started leaping away. "Put me down, bastard! Stop! Help!" Kagome struggled to get out of the wolf's grip.

"Kagome!" Iya-yuma snarled, leaping after Kouga, only to be attacked a group of wolf youkai. She screamed in pain and tried to fend them off as they tore at her flesh.

"Iya-yuma! Someone help her!" Migumi yelled from one of the windows of the castle.

This seemed to snap the Inu youkai out of the trance they were in. As one, they leapt into battle with the wolves. Kagome's screams were forgotten by all but one.

Inuyasha lay covered in almost a ton of rubble. Kagome . . . have to save . . . . Kagome . . . His thoughts were muddled.

"INUYASHA, HELP ME!"

Kagome's voice reached his ears. A jolt of energy ran through his body. What?! What's going on?! What's happening to me?! Even as his mind voiced these thoughts, a new one began drowning them out. He felt a desire like no other spread through him.

Kill.

Blood.

The world slowly turned red.

With one powerful push of his arms, he was free of the rubble and on his feet. He was strong. Much stronger than before. A smirk played on his lips as he saw the two groups of youkai tearing each other apart. Then he recognized one group as his own clan.

He looked down at his claws. They were longer. Good. He could do more damage that way. he smirked and then gave a commanding, howling bark. they looked back at him and then leaped away from the other clan of youkai.

"Hey, you filthy wolves." He called. "Come and get me -" He tore his tops of, leaving his torso bare. "-if you dare." The wolves leapt at him. Time to try out my new claws, he thought. He leaped high into the air. "SANKON TESSO!" He yelled, slicing his claws through the air. There was a breif flash of light as the energy of the attack hit the youkai and then they fell to the ground in peices.

Inuaysha landed amongst the gore in a crouching position. He looked around at the carnage he'd caused and felt a sense of glee wash over him. He tilted back his head and let out a maniacal laugh.

"INUYASHA!" Yelled a voice, faint from the distance it carried.

The voice cut through his laughter. It was familiar, but who could it be. All of his clan were here, save those that had died in the battle. He looked up and saw the form of a retreating Kouga, not recognizing Kagome in his haze. The voice was forgotten at the prospect of killing again.

He laughed cruelly. "TRYING TO RUN ARE WE, YOU COWARDLY WOLF?!" He yelled.

He was after them in a flash. He caught up with them in no time. He smirked and was about to use his 'Sankon Tesso' attack again, but even as he lifted his arm, someone dealt an unbeleivably powerful blow to the back of his head.

He crashed to the ground and slid, going through tees and boulders, his body digging into the ground. The world around him cleared, the reddish tint fading along with his strength. He looked up and saw his father standing over him and saw Kouga, carrying Kagome into the distance.

"Kagome . . . ." he whispered, before slipping off into unconsciousness.

* * *

Amd now . . . . START REVIEWING PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLZplzPLZplzPLZplzPLZplzPLZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I live for reviews!! I want to know how the story is working for you!! Tell me what you like!!Tell me what you don't like!! Say something!! Anything!! Just review!!

*pants* Sorry. Had to get that off my chest. Anyway. Just review.


	6. Chapter 6

Impossible Love

Chap 6

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok. Before the chapter, some comments on reviews.

First up is EmoGryl22: WHAT?!why did his father knock him out?!shouldn't he at least let him kill da wolf den knock him out?!know im just plain confused...=0...

The reason Inuyaha's father knocked him out is that, in his full-youkia haze, Inuyasha would have killed Kagome without realizing it. She was slung over Kouga's shoulder when Inuyasha went to attack. I mention it in this chapter.

Next is 2WhiteFlame16: Lmao couldn't the wolves have ripped his shirt off? When I picture that it looks pretty dumb. But anyway, here I am, reviewing and waiting eagerly for the next chapter! ^_^

It was dumb, I agree. I was heavily sleep deprived when I wrote that part. All I could see in my head were flics of fight scenes in movies where the men strip from the waist up to show of their muscles right before the big fight. I don't know why.

* * *

Inuyasha awoke with a start. He looked around groggily, trying to gather his thoughts. He sniffed the air around him and Kagome's scent filled his nostrils. Her scent cleared his fogged mind and the events of the previous day rushed back to him.

" Kagome!" He leapt up off the futon and ran to the door.

It opened as he reached for it and his father, the youkia lord of the Western lands, stood in the doorway. His ningen mother, Migumi, his father's second mate, stood behind him. "Sit down. We must speak with you." His father ordered. Inuyasha was inclined to refuse, but a look from his mother changed his mind and and sat back down on the futon. His mother sat beside him and took his hand. "First of all, where is the Tetsiaga?"

"It's leaning against a tree in the meadow near the lake, but -"

"Silence!" His father boomed. Inuyasha snapped his jaws together. His father looked outraged and he knew that there must be something terribly wrong.

His Father strode to the door and called for assistance and a young inu youkia appeared almost instantly. She couldn't have been more than thirty or so and Inuyasha vaguely remembered that she was the sister of one of his age mates. He heard his father order the young youkia to retrieve the Tetsiaga and then told her where it was. The girl bowed low and backed away three steps before turning and running swiftly away.

His father turned back to him and Inuyasha remembered something. "Father -" His mother tightened her hold on his hand and he remembered his manners.

He averted his eyes and let his ears droop. He let his muscles relax and tried to look as submissive as possible, then bowed his head and waited for the youkia lord to give him permission to speak. His father shut his jaws forcefully, letting his teeth come together with a loud snap.

"Speak."

"My lord, why did you stop me from saving Kagome?" Inuyasha asked in a low voice.

His father seemed to ponder this. "Before I give you an answer, I must explain something to you and to do that I must recount and event from your past." He nodded towards Migumi.

She nodded and looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha. Do you remember the day that you slaughtered that cobra youkia?"

"Hai."

"Well, do you remember how you did it? Do you remember what happened before you killed it?" He opened his mouth, then shut it again and shook his head. Migumi looked up at his father.

"Inuyasha. Your blood is half youkia and half ningen. Sometimes one blood dominates, such as when you are ningen on nights of the new moon. What the Tetsiaga does is hold your youkia blood at bay so that it cannot dominate." his father said.

"If the Tetsiaga where not around then you'd become full youkia." His mother finished. "That's why it was given to you."

"But that's good isn't it, father? For me to be full youkia like you?"

Migumi smiled. Inuyasha looked elated at the chance to be more like his father. Then she frowned. The truth had to be told.

She shook her head. "No, my son. It is not good for you to become full youkia."

"Why?"

Inuyasha knew he was being childish, but the thought of being full youkia like the rest of his clan and, most of all, like his father, gave him a strange sort of happy feeling, almost glee. He would no longer be the hanyou boy; He'd be full youkia. It was almost to good to be true.

It was his father who answered. "Because you're youkia self is destructive and dangerous. It has been suppressed you're entire life and so it is wild."

"I still don't understand. How can you know what my youkia self will be like?"

"Not what it will be like, what it has been like. Your youkia self came out the day you fought the cobra and again only a few hours ago. You killed all of the wolves that the youkia, Kouga, brought with him." His father answered.

Migumi cut int. "And you . . . . you nearly killed-"

Inuyasha's father snapped his teeth and she halted mid-sentence. She'd been about to tell Inuyasha that he'd nearly killed Kagome. Obviously, her mate had other plans.

She looked over at her son and saw why he had stopped her. Inuyasha looked overwhelmed. His eyes were wide and his jaw was hanging slightly loose.

Only then did she remember her own shock at having these things told to her. She recalled the dreadful day that she'd been told that her only son was to live out his life as a half monster and that the only way to avoid this was for her mate to give a fang in his youkia form to the swords maker, Toto-sia who would prepare it in a way so that as long as Inuyasha carried the Tetsiaga, he would always have his father's protection. That had been almost thirty years ago and she'd learned to live with it.

Just then, the young youkia that her mate had told to retrieve the Tetsiaga, crept into the room. She dropped to her knees and touched her forehead to the floor. She saw the young youkia's trembles and she could practically smell the fear emanating off of her.

Her mate growled impatiently. "Well, where is the Tetsiaga?"

If possible, the young youkia started trembling even more. "It was not there, my lord. Natasha could not find it." She put her hands up over her head. "Natasha is sorry!"

Inuyasha looked up to see his father tense with barley concealed rage. "What do you mean, 'not there'?" He asked, his voice unnaturally smooth.

Migumi stood and put a hand on his arm. "Stay calm. I'm sure that there is an explanation."

"There is." A silvery voice said from the window.

The all looked to the source of the voice and a collective gasp went through them. Soisayinu, the first mate of the youkia lord and mother of Shesshomaru and Iya-Yuma, stood just inside the window. The Tetsiaga was held firmly in her left hand.

* * *

Kagome awoke with a groan. Her head was throbbing painfully and her arm felt unnaturally wet at the elbow. Her eyes fluttered open and she was startled to see a pair of emerald eyes only inches from hers. She screamed, jerking back, then rolled over, clutching her head at the pain that her sudden movement and the loud echo of her scream sent through it.

There was a tiny squeak behind her and she heard the sound of little paws scampering away. Then she heard the sound of voices. She listened intently over the throbbing of her head.

"She's awake!" A small childish voice squeaked.

"I believe we noticed that." A male voice said sarcastically.

"Well, if she can scream like that then I suppose we can assume she'll be alright." A woman's voice said.

"Indeed." Said the male.

"I think I scared her." The child said quietly.

"Then I think apologizing might be the best way to break the ice." Said the woman. She then sighed. "It's going to be nice to have someone to talk to in this awful place."

The man laughed. "Don't you enjoy talking to me?"

"Or me?" The child asked in a hurt voice.

"Of course I enjoy talking to you two, but there are some things that may only be said between women. And besides, you only like to speak hentai thoughts."

"How could I resist with such beautiful woman so close to me?" The male said.

The child laughed. "I'll go apologize now." Kagome then heard the scampering of little paws coming towards her and then a tentative tap on the shoulder. "Gomen for scaring you."

Very slowly, Kagome turned over to face the child. Then she realized that it wasn't a child after all, but an adorable, little, male, kitsune youkia. He had violently red hair and a bushy tail. He sat crouched on all fours and she could see little paws sticking out instead of feet. His clothing was tattered and filthy and she wondered if he'd had a bath in a while. As adorable as he looked though, she was wary to say too much. He was, after all, a youkia.

"It's alright."

"My name is Shippo. What's yours?"

She hesitated for a moment, considering whether or not to tell the truth, but finally decided to go ahead. "Kagome."

"Alright then, Kagome-san. Would you like to meet my friends? They're ningens like you. Except for Kirara. She's a youkia like me." Kagome nodded slowly. "C'mon you guys!" He yelled.

Kagome clutched her head at the painful throbbing caused by the loud voice. "Oh, my head!" She whispered.

She looked up to see a man and a woman emerge from the shadows. Both were tall and dark haired and their clothing was as tattered as the little kitsune's. The woman held a two tailed neko youkia in her arms. They both smiled a welcome and then came to kneel beside her on the stone floor.

"Hi. My name is Sango and this is Kirara." The woman said, holding up the youkia.

"Hi." Kagome said lightly.

"And I'm Miroku." The man said, giving her a charming smile.

Sango leaned close and whispered. "Watch out for his tricks. He's a terrible hentai."

"Only for you, Sango, dear." The man laughed.

"He also has excellent hearing." She sighed.

Kagome resisted the urge to laugh at their antics and only nodded. She braced her arms and started to sit up, not wanting to lie down in the presence of strangers any longer, but got only halfway up before the throbbing of her head forced her to lay back down. Without a word, Sango put down the neko youkia and helped her to sit up and leaned her back against the wall.

"Arigato." Kagome whispered.

Kirara blinked her large eyes, then crawled into Kagome's lap and curled up. Kagome looked up at Sango, surprised at the neko's actions. Sango looked as shocked as the young Miko did. "She's never done that with a stranger before." The older woman whispered in wonder.

Kagome looked back down at the neko, growing more nervous by the second. However adorable that this particular youkia might be, it was still a youkia, and Kagome knew from experience that they were unpredictable. She was again startled, when Shippo leaned against her side and wrapped his little arms as far as they'd go around her waist. Soon, both youkia were asleep.

"Well, this is new." Miroku pondered aloud. "They never do that to me and I've known them much longer tha-"

"Shhh! Watch!" Sango interrupted. She had a strange sense that something was about to happen and stared intently at the Miko.

Kagome looked back and forth between the two youkia. Her eyes filled with unexpected tears at the trust in their actions. They'd only met her moments ago and yet, they felt comfortable enough around her to fall asleep in her arms. She was seriously considering trying to trust them, even if they were youkia.

Shippo let out a deep sigh in his sleep and a stand of his hair came loose and fell over his nose. He scrunched his nose, unconsciously trying to remove the itchy, tickly feeling. Kagome looked down at him to see what was wrong.

As soon as she realized what it was, she reached over and brushed his bangs off of his forehead, then quickly jerked back as she realized what she was doing. She looked at her hand and then back to the kitsune. Tentatively, she reached back over and brushed his bangs lightly and then gave a triumphant grin.

As if she knew that attention was being given to someone other than herself, Kirara woke up and butted her head against the young Miko's arm. Kagome started and looked down at the neko, who purred and rubbed her head against Kagome's arm. Kagome cautiously inched her hand toward the youkia, shaking with anticipation.

The little neko stretched her neck forward and touched her nose against the girl's finger. She sniffed it and then gave it a quick lick with her raspy tongue and then rubbed her head against it. Slowly, Kagome began stroking her and the neko's purring grew louder. She lowered her head to her paws and fell asleep under the caresses.

Kagome smiled down at her and then looked at Shippo. They're not so bad really. Youkia.

Sango had been watching closely. Something had happened, so subtle that she hadn't seen it, but she was aware that something had. The girl seemed more relaxed and it looked as if she'd just overcome some sort of inner battle. Maybe she's afraid of youkia, the woman thought.

Suddenly, the sound of purposefully loud footsteps reached their ears. Kagome looked in the direction they where coming from and scowled. She was about to pull herself, but then she remembered the two sleeping youkia. She looked over at Sango and Miroku.

"Take them! Quick! Before he gets here!" She hissed, barley above a whisper. Both ningens looked confused, but did as they were ordered. Kagome braced herself against the wall and stood slowly, ignoring the painful protests of her body.

"Who is it?" Sango asked.

"Kouga."

The footsteps stopped for a moment, before starting again. "Lucky guess, my little Miko." A deep voice said from the shadows.

"How did you know it was him?" Miroku asked quietly.

"I could sense that bastard a mile away. Now be quiet! Don't say anything else!"

"You could sense me a mile away, could you? Well, then why did I startle you so badly back at the castle?" Kouga laughed.

"I was distracted with more important things than you!" She snapped.

"Oh, really? Like your prince?"

"What do you want from me, bastard?!" She yelled. Her head was beginning to swim and she was leaning against the wall for support.

Kouga laughed again. "You should sit down. You don't look well." He said mockingly.

"Bastard . . .the day that I . . .sit in your . . .presence . . .will be the day . . .that I'm too . . .weak to stand." She was struggling to find the right words, through the swimming of her head. She closed her eyes as the room around her began to swirl.

He growled. "I can fix that though."

He suddenly stepped forward and slapped her with all of his strength. Her head snapped sideways and cracked against the stone wall. She bit her tongue against crying out and slumped to her knees.

She fell forward, only barley managing to brace her arms and catch herself. She tasted a saltiness in her mouth and spit out a mouth full of blood. Sango rushed forward and knelt beside her.

"Are you all right?"

Kouga growled. "Stay out of this bitch." He lashed out to kick at her.

Without thinking, Kagome pushed herself sideways and took the blow. She flew backwards against the wall and then slid to the floor. Unbearable amounts of pain coursed through her body and she curled in on herself. Gladly, she let the nothingness of unconsciousness consume her.

* * *

Inuyasha looked over at his mother and father, before looking back at Soisayinu. His father growled and stepped forward. She smiled wickedly at him.

His father looked over at Natasha. "Leave us!" He snapped. The young youkia jumped up and fled from the room. He turned back to Soisayinu. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I'm fixing a mistake you made, Inutaisho dear." She said in an icily polite tone. "I'm going to give the Tetsiaga to it's rightful owner, as I should have done, long ago."

"What?!"

"You heard me! A half breed like him doesn't deserve a katana like the Tetsiaga! He could never even dream of using it to it's true potential!" Migumi started to reply, but Soisayinu cut her off. "I have no desire to speak to your human bitch, Inutaisho."

"Why you . . . ."Inuyasha leaped forward and slashed at her. She dodged sideways to avoid him, but his claw sliced the last few inches of her silvery tail off.

She dropped the Tetsiaga and let out a howl of pain and rage. "You dirty little half-breed! How dare you touch me?!"

She leapt at Inuyasha, her eyes glowing crimson. She kicked him and he flew backwards towards the wall. He twisted himself in mid-air, and hit the wall with his feet, kicking off of it to come flying right back at her. Her eyes widened in surprise and she barely had time to dodge his claws.

She back flipped away from him and he followed. She stopped suddenly and slashed upwards with her claws. She sliced through his shirts and up his neck to his chin. He let out a howl of pain and fell backwards.

"Inuyasha!" Migumi yelled, running towards her now unconscious son.

Soisayinu laughed. "I think it's time to rid the inu clan of this bitch." She raised her hand and sliced down.

She was suddenly thrown backwards and she crashed into the wall with unbelievable force. She looked up to find Inutaisho kneeling beside the bleeding ningen. "Migumi! Migumi, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine. She d-didn't get m-me all the way. . ."She whispered. She let out a sudden hiss of pain and then fainted.

Inutaisho through back his head and let out a howl of sorrow and anger. He looked up at Soisayinu and his face twisted into an expression of loathing, his eyes glowing crimson. Faster than she could blink, he was crouched in front of her.

"You will die!" He snarled.

Her eyes widened with fear as he leaned forward. She felt his fangs pierce her neck on either side of her jugular and a tear rolled down her cheek. She brought a hand up and put it to the side of his face.

"I have always loved you, Inutaisho. Remember that." She whispered.

His teeth suddenly clamped down tighter and with one swift jerk of his head, he tore open her throat. She let out a cry of pain that ended abruptly in a gurgle. Her hand fell limply from his face as her body slumped into death.

* * *

Inuyasha opened his eyes groggily and looked around. He was startled into wakefulness, when he saw his father standing beside the futon, Tetsiaga in hand. He started to ask what had happened, but the lost and anguished look on the youkia lord's face told him everything he needed to know; Soisayinu was dead.

"You're wounds have healed well enough, my son. It is time for you to begin your search and lead the Inu clan to their revenge against the wolves." He held out the Tetsiaga. "Take the katana, Inuyasha. Take the katana and find your mate."

* * *

* * *

Ok. one more quick note before I go. I know I said that Chapter 7 would be a long one, but its actually going to be my shortest one yet. Chapter 8 is the longer one. Anyway. R&R . . .etc., etc.,


	7. Chapter 7

Impossible Love

Chapter 7

Here it is. Chapter 7!! Thank you so much for your support and reviews. I'm going to try to have the 8th chapter up before midnite. This chap is gonna seem a little diffn't.

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Inuyasha stepped outside. He looked around at his home and his brethren. The clan, who had gathered outside the castle awaiting news, all froze at the sight of him. Tension crackled in the air.

Inuyasha rose his hands and called, "Inu Clan! The Wolves have done us a great wrong! They attacked us at our own front door! They have killed some of our brethren! They have taken one of our number back to their den!" His voice broke into a snarl as he said this. "Are we to take that lying down? Are we?"

"No!" They cried together.

"Are you ready to avenge your clan?" He yelled.

"Yes!"

He looked around at them all and lowered his hands, grinning. "Good. 'Cause I sure as hell can't do it alone."

They all laughed and the tension in the air broke, exactly what he'd been intending to do. He rose his hands again to silence them. " I want everyone who is of age, besides the elders and females pregnant or nursing pups, to be ready to go within the hour!" He spun on a group of slender athletic-looking youkai. The trackers of the Inu Clan. " I want the two fastest of you to leave in half that time. Get your things and go."

Two females broke from the group, bowed to Inuyasha, and ran for their dens. He looked around at the bustling activity of his clan. His gaze fell on the lake and his thoughts turned to Kagome. Please, Kagome. Hold on. Be strong. I'm coming for you.

Kagome awoke to pain. I really hope this isn't going to become a lifestyle, she thought. A few moments later, she realized that Sango and the others were talking in hushed tones a little ways away. More importantly, they were talking about her.

"I just want to know who she is." Miroku was saying.

"She saved my life." Sango said heatedly. "That's enough for me."

"Exactly. If Kouga had struck you as hard as he hit her, you would have died. And yet, this girl, who was already seriously wounded, survived. She's only been asleep for a day and a half and yet her injuries are healing as if they were a week old, at least. I'm almost positive that she's not entirley human."

"So you don't trust things that aren't human?" Shippo piped up in a hurt voice. Killala hissed, backing up his question.

"Of course I do-"

Sango cut him off. "And are you questioning my tajai abilities?" Sango snapped.

"I am not questioning your abilities, Sango. " Miroku said placidly. " I only mean to caution you."

Kagome, unable to lie there any longer, pushed herself up on her knees with all the strength she could muster, ignoring the painful protests of her battered body. "He's right you know." Kagome hissed through clenched teeth, leaning back against the stone wall. " You can't trust me." She opened her eyes and glared at the shocked looks on their faces. "And you almost certainly shouldn't try to befreind me."

Miroku had the sense to look abashed. Shippo made as if to dash towards her, but something in her look must have stopped him. Sango, however, stood and walked to her. She kneeled down in front of Kagaome and touched her forehead to the stone floor.

"Arigato for saving my life. I can never fully repay you for what you have done, Kagome." She spoke to the floor.

Kagome was shocked. She blushed in embarassment. " Sango, don't . . . I'm not . . get up."

The older woman lifted her head. " But you saved my life."

"I did what I had to do. I don't need your thanks. Now please, get up. Don't bow to me. No one bows to me." Her voice dropped to a whisper.

Sango looked confused, but did as Kagome asked. Miroku stepped forward. " I appoligize, Lady Kagome. I didn't mean to offend you. I too am grateful that you saved Sango. But you must understand my misgivings."

Kagome looked up at him. "And I said that you were right." She looked around, meeting their eyes. "My name is Kagome Higurashi." They gasped, even Shippo.

"So that means . . ." Shippo began.

"The Maiden from the Bone-Eater's Well!" Sango and Miroku said in unison.

"I thought that you had returned to your home through the well! We never knew that you had come back!"

"Noone but the Inu Clan of the West knew I was here. Until Kouga discovered my secret."

"How did the Inu clan know?" Shippo asked, moving to her side.

In answer, Kagome pulled down the collar of her filthy shirt, to show the mark on her neck. Sango and Miroku gasped again. Sango moved closer.

"A mating mark?" Miroku asked. Kagome noded

"This mark . . it's not a normal inu mating mark." Sango whispered.

Kagome was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that a normal inu mating mark is a silvery blue cresent moon. Yours is red."

Miroku looked down at her. "How do you know that, Sango?" He asked.

Sango looked up at him. "I'm a tajai. I have to know these things." She looked back at the mark. "I've never heard of this kind of mark before." She glanced up at Kagome. "Would you mind telling us who gave you that mark?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Prince Inuyasha of the Inu Clan of the West." She said his name in the formal way it was meant to be said. Another round of gasps. Kagome sighed in frustration. " Can you all stop doing that please?"

Sango and Miroku appeared to be having a coversation, but neither of them were saying a word. "You know what this means don't you?" Miroku asked aloud.

Sango nodded. "When the time comes, we will have to be ready to move."

Miroku shook his head. "Remember. They stored them in the main den. We won't have a chance."

"Killila is very fast."

"What are you two talking about?" Kagome burst out.

They jumped and Sango looked around. "Sorry." She said to Kagome.

"What we were saying was, if you are the mate of Prince Inuyasha, then the Inu Clan will be coming for you. They will wage a war with the wolves."

"And?" Kagome asked. She had already worked that much out for herself.

"And," Sango continued, "The wolves will not give us a chance to escape and fight alonside the Inu Clan. We will be killed the moment a battle is imminent, here at the wolves' den."

"However, Sango and I have the ability to sense demonic auras. We will be able to sense the Inu clan when they get close."

"And when that time comes, we will be able to escape, just before the Inu Clan gets here. They won't worry about chasing prisoners when their den is in danger."

Kagome shook her head. "I wouldn't get your hopes up." She said quietly, looking down.

Sango looked down at her, confused. "Why?"

Kagome took a deep breath. " Because I told Inuyasha, I never wanted to see him again. We hadn't talked for a week before I was taken." She fought to swallow a lump in her throat. She continued, voice thick. "I was looking for him to appoligize when Kouga showed up-"

A loud howl outside, interupted her. They all looked up to the crack high in the cave wall. Voices were floating into the cave, loud and numerous.

"Kouga has called another meeting." Miroku observed aloud.

"A meeting for what?" Shippo asked.

"Let's listen and see. The meetings are held right on the other side of this wall, so we're able to hear them. " Sango said to Kagome, shifting to sit against the cave wall beside her.

As if on cue, Kouga's voice cut through the cave. "Wolves! Hear me! I have been to the Western Lands and do you know what I found there?! The Maiden from the Bone-Eaters Well!" The air was suddenly full of shocked cries and howls. "Yes! It is true. The Inu Clan has been hiding her all this time. Well not anymore! We have her! And when I have mated her, the wolves will rise above all others! We will reign supreme over all the land in our rightful place! The Hour of the Wolf has come, at last!" Howls and cheers almost drowned out his last words.

Kagome, who had frozen at the words 'When I have mated her . .', was totally oblivious to Miroku and Sango's shocked stares. I can't mate him, she thought wildly. I'm mated to Inuyasha. Iya-Yuma's voice sounded in her head, 'You do realize that until she is fully mated, she is still in danger . .'. Oh, no, she thought.

Her hand came up to the mark on her neck. Inuyasha's mark. "Inuyasha . . ."

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Ok. Reviews are a must on this one. I'm depending on what you say so REVIEW!!!


	8. Chapter 8

Impossible Love

Chapter 8

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!

I was really not sure at first that many people were going to like this story, so the fact that people do makes me very happy and gives me more confidence when writing.

Note: I use the term 'humanoid' to describe a youkai in a form like Sesshomaru's, Kagura's, or Kouga's, mostly human looking with only a tail or something like that. I use the term 'full-youkai' to describe a demon in a form that is mostly animal, depending on whatever species they are. So 'full youkai' forms for the Inu Clan, would, of course, be giant dogs, with varying cases of giantness, lol. I'm using these terms alot in this chapter and the reason for this is because on into later chapters, these terms become kind've essential so I wanted to get you familiar with them early on. Just thought I'd let you know what I meant when I wrote those terms.

Oh and another thing, once again 2WhiteFlame16, I agree with you. I did make Inuyasha i bit too wussyish in earlier chapters, but I'll make up for it eventually.

This chap got edited and reposted thanks to KityKritic who pointed out a really big flaw in this chap. It should be much easier to read now.

Thanks to everyone who reveiwed. I hope you like this chap. It's different from anything I've written thus far.

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Inuyasha darted through the trees with the Inu Clan's warriors. Almost a hundred youkai, in both humanoid and full youkai forms, raced through the trees towards the Northern Lands, where the wolves den, and Kagome, lay waiting. He was running alongside a small group of ten or so warriors, the tactical warriors, discussing what their best line of atack was against the wolves.

"They'll naturally be expecting us to attack them from the west." Kasumi, an older female, in humanoid form was saying. "So we should circle around and come in from the north-east. It will only take us a day longer and may substantially reduce or losses."

"That's Leopard territory." A grizzled old male in full youkai form growled. "In our present course, we're already risking a battle with the bears and mow you want us to risk one with them as well?"

"The leapords are enemies of the wolves as well Kenta." A younger male named Hiroki said soothingly. "If we told them why they were in their territory, I'm sure they would give us a temporary pass. They might even fight with us."

Kenta snorted. "Your youth counts against you, pup. The 'pards would no sooner fight with us than the wolves. What are they teaching you young ones in your training? Not good insight skills obviously."

Hiroki opened his mouth to retort, but Inuyasha cut him off. "This is no time to fight amongst ourselves, Kenta. Hiroki has just as much right to speak his mind as you do." Inuyasha said firmly. "I say we should go with Kasumi's plan. The wolves won't be on guard for a northern attack and we have no quarrel with the leopards at the moment. And if the rumors are true, the wolves outnumber us three to one. I don't know about you guys, but I'd hate to get my head handed to me by some mangy wolf."

Kasumi nodded. "Exactly my point. We need the element of suprise if we hope to-"

A howl of alarm rang from the front of the pack, cutting her off. Without a word, Inuyasha lengthened hi stride and, a moment later, blew into a clearing. He stopped dead in his tracks. The head of the pack, mostly barely of age warriors, had run head first into a rather large group of kitsune youkai, all in humanoid form. A skirmish had broken out between his wariors and a few of the kitsunes. The rest of them were grouped around other kitsunes lying on the ground. They seemed to be gravely wounded.

"Stop!" Inuyasha barked at his warriors.

They sprang back at once. The kitsune's did as well. Looking at them again, Inuyasha could see they were a miserable looking bunch, filthy and wearing tattered clothing. He was suprised by their number and by the fact that, on closer inspection, there were three different kinds of kitsune in the group, red, black and grey. Kitsune youkai, he'd heard, tended to group via their coat color. It was rare to see a mixed group. There were also more kits in this group than was the norm.

An older male Kitsune stepped forward, glaring and interupting Inuyasha's inspection. "What is the meaning of this, Inu Lord? We kitsune have sought no quarrel with the Inu Clan, yet you attack us?" He snapped stopping a few feet away from Inuyasha. His bushy, black tail was lashing furiously lashing and his ebony ears were flat against his head.

Inuyasha took two steps forward. "Your name, Kitsune?"

"Rokuro."

Inuyasha nodded. "Gomen, Rokuro. You suprised my warriors. We were not expecting to see any kitsune on our journey. Ecspecially such a large grouping. Can I ask what has happened in the East?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" A grey tailed female kistune snapped.

"Am I wrong in presuming you've met some kind of trouble?" He asked gesturing towrds the fallen kitsune's.

"You are not wrong, Young One." A deep voice boomed from the trees.

Rokuro leapt backwards and turned to bow with the rest of the kitsunes as the bushed parted behind them. An enormous kitsune in full youkia form stepped from the trees. Inuyasha froze in shock. The power of this youkia's aura, surpassed even that of his father's. He fought the urge to bow beneath it. The kitsune's coat was snowy white and his three tails stood straight and proud as he approached. Inuyasha felt another shock when he saw this. Three tailed kitsune youkai were all but myths. To see one was rare and to speak to one, was even more so. The kitsune stopped a few paces back from where Gean had stood, his ice blue eyes distant.

Inuyasha bobbed his head respectfully. "And what name do I call you, Elder?"

"My name, in this life at least, is Tonkauro. Your father has done well by you, Prince Inuyasha." Inuyasha's eyes went wide with shock. "Hai, I know who you are. I met your father once, when he was only a pup. It does this old kitsune well to meet one of his sons. But I regress. To where does the Inu Clan travel with so many of it's warriors?"

"We are on our way to the Northern Lands. The wolves have done us a great wrong."

"And you go to right that wrong." Tonkauro finished. "The wolves have done us wrong as well. They have grown bold in their great numbers. They have begun to pillage in the East. Many a youkai and ningen alike have fallen in one of there raids."

Inuyasha was appalled. "Why has no one told us? We have heard nothing of the wolves since they attacked us. He was in the Western Lands only two weeks ago and until his attack on our home, he did nothing to arouse any suspicion."

"Not many to survive to tell the tale. What you see before you is the remainder of the Kitsune race. We journey now to rescue a kit that is the last of a once great bloodline and to do what we can to avenge our race."

"With your young and wounded in tow?" An Inu warrior scoffed. Inyasha whipped his head around to glare at him.

"We have nowhere to leave them, Inu! The wolves have driven us from our dens! From the lands we call our home! What else can we do?" The gray tailed kitsune that had spoken before yelled.

"Calm yourself, Tsukiko!" Rokuro snapped.

"No! The wolves killed my kits! My babies! Do you know what that is like, Inu? To watch your own kits die? To watch your home torn apart? How dare you?" She shreiked. " Kami! Why must you make us suffer?" She called to the sky.

She dropped to her knees sobbing. One of the other kitsune females stepped forward to comfort her. The rest glared at the Inu warrior who had spoken. The warriors around him shifted to the side, leaving him standing ashamed and alone.

Inuyasha glared at him, trying to recall his Inu Clan was too large for him to remember each one. Ecspecially since he spent a majority of his time with Kagome and his family.

He was about to give up, when one of the warriors friends hissed, "Bad move, Daichi."

Inuyasha barely managed to supress his smirk. "Daichi!" He called.

The young warrior's head snapped up. "H-hai, My Lord?" He asked, voice trembling.

"Come." He snapped, pointing to the ground near his feet. Daichi darted to his side and crouched trembling. "You will do something very important for me, Daichi. You will go to my father and tell him what has transpired. You will inform him of what the wolves have one to the Eastern Lands and you will also inform him of the kitsune's needs. Do you understand?" He snapped harshly.

Daichi jumped. "Hai, My Lord." He scrambled to his feet and turned to leave.

"Oh, and by the way." Inuyasha called, stopping him. Daichi turned around. " You will also inform him of the fact that you insulted and accused our possible allies. Not only that, you insulted youkai, who are injured, weak, and homeless. You have shamed your entire race. I will be awaiting news of his response when I return. "

Daichi, who had begun shake more and more violently as he spoke, turned a sickly shade of green at the last two sentences. He glanced at his friends, who all averted their eyes, shifting uncomfortably. Seeing no escape, he took a deep breath and nodded gravely.

"Do this old kitsune a favor and tell Lord Inutashio that his old friend Tonkauro sends word, pup. Maybe if you temper your warning with good news, he may spare your life." Tonkauro called out with a chuckle.

Inuyasha laughed with him. When Daichi was out of sight, he turned to the old kitsune. "Let us journey together, Lord Tonkauro. The Inu Clan's healers can see to your wounded and our combined forces may turn the odds in our favor."

Tonkauro nodded. "Hai, that it might. We must rest for the night, Prince Inuyasha, for our wounded, but if you do not mind the wait, we would be proud to fight alongside the Inu Clan in battle."

Though the thought of even more delay pained him, he nodded. "We will wait with you. We had been planning to circle to the east to attack the wolves, but this new information means we need a new strategy. It will also give my healers time to look after your wounded." At his signal, five of the Inu's healers ran to the wounded kitsunes. He turned to the rest of his clan. "hunt or rest at your leisure. We set out at dawn."

Tonkauro lay down sphinx-like and looked at Inuyasha. "Let us talk, Prince Inuyasha, of the coming battle." Rokuro stepped forward.

Inuyasha motioned for Kenta, Hiroki, and Kasumi forward. "Let us talk."

* * *

Kagome winced slightly as Sango pulled a cloth tightly around her arm. One of the wolves had brought a few dingy cloths when their daily meal had been delivered, and Sango had insisted on helping Kagome to treat her wounds. The young miko had been unable to deter her and had reluctantly agreed.

Night was falling, and the cave was growing darker by the moment. This would be the first night Kagome had been awake and she eyed the now mush larger shadows aprehensivley. She didn't look forward to being blind so deep in enemy territory. From the sounds outside, the wolves were still celebrating Kouga's news. Kagome growled at the thought.

"Gomen! I didn't mean to hurt you." Sango said quickly, jerking back.

Kagome looked confused for a second, before realizing she'd growled at loud. " Oh. No, you didn't. The wolves are still celebrating. Filthy fleabags!" She snapped. She saw Sango looking at her, shocked. "Gomen. Inuyasha has apparently rubbed off on me."

"Oh." Sango went back to treating Kagome's wounds. "So your Inuyasha acts like this?" She asked quietly.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. " Sometimes. When he's around me, alone with ningens or with his family. Or when he's fighting." She added as an afterthought. "But when he's with his clan, I've heard he acts differently. Iyayuma says he behaves almost like a different person. 'Like an Inu Prince should' she says."

"Iyayuma?" Sango asked.

"Inuyasha's half sister."

"Ah yes, I had heard that Lord Inutashio had two wives and that one was ningen." Miriku piped up suddenly.

Both women jumped. Until that moment, they had assumed that he was asleep. He had been sitting beside a sleeping Shippo and Kirara, but had somehow managed to move towards them until he was sitting only a few feet away, without either of them noticing.

Sango grumbled something unintelligable under her breath. Kagome nodded. "Hai. Inuyasha is his only child by his second mate Megumi."

"Megumi is his ningen wife?" He asked. Kagome nodded, tensing for the inevitable hanyou remark, but it never came. "I take it he isn't first in line for the throne."

"No. His half brother Sesshomaru is. I've never met him. He left as soon as he came of age. Iyayuma said he was out travelling the world, gaining the experience he would need to be the best Inu Lord he could be. He used to visit often, but he hasn't been back since his father gave him the so-called weaker of the two swords the swordsmaker Totosai crafted."

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

Kagome explained to them, how Inutashio had sacrificed two of his fangs, in full youkia form, to the swords maker Totosai. She told them how Inuyasha's sword, the Tetsaiga, could supposedly slay a thousand youkai in a single stroke and how Sesshomaru's sword could reverse death itself. Why Inutashio had ordered the swords crafted was a mystery.

"Why did he not give Sesshomaru the stronger of the two swords if Sesshomaru was meant to lead?" Sango asked.

"No one knows. Lord Inutashio only said that the swords had been made ecspecially for them and that they would understand his choice over time. No one questioned him after that, except for Soisayinu. Even Sesshomaru didn't argue, though Inuyasha wonders from time to time."

"Strange." Sango said quietly.

"Indeed." Miriku nodded.

Looking at the two of them, a question that had been burning in the back of Kagome's mind, suddenly popped up. "Gomen if this seems rude, but why are you here? And Kirrara and Shippo?"

Sango and Miroku stared at her for a moment, shocked. "You're not rude." Miroku informed her, when she looked away. "I'm just suprised that it hasn't already come up. I can't speak for Shippo. He won't talk about the reasons he is here, and Sango and I haven't pressed him to. If you want his story, you will have to get it yourself. I, on the other hand, am here because the wolves raided the village I was staying at. I was the last one standing when Kouga showed up. The wolves were afraid to kill me, so they knocked me out and brought me here."

Kagome held up a hand, signaling for him to stop. "Wait. The wolves were afraid to kill you? Why?"

In answer Miroku held up his right hand. It was covered with a tattered glove, held in place by a string of prayer beads. She couldn't tell in the dim light if the cave, but it looked similar to some that Kaede had shown her that were used to seal cursed wounds. Kagome started to reach out to touch them, but Miroku pulled his hand away.

"That would not be wise, Lady Kagome." He looked at his hand loathingly. "If these prayer beads were to come off, then everything even remotley loose in this cave, and all of you along with it, would be sucked into an abyss from which there is no return." He looked at her and nodded at the shocked look on her face. "Hai, I know it seems hard to believe, but it is true. Long ago, when Jensei, Jensei, was young a youkai whom he had offended in a greivous manner sought revenge. The youkai had been pursuing the maids of a particular village for some time They were rumored to be the prettiest maids in the land. Jensei, not knowing of the youkai, came across the village on a journey. Jensei was . . oh how shall I put this . . "

" A hentai?" Sango interjected.

"A man who sought out the many pleasures in life. "Miroku went on as if Sango hadn't spoken. "Naturally, he lay with many of the village's maidens while he was there. The youkai, who had already made his claim to these women, at least to himself, was incsenced. He attacked the village and caught Jensei by suprise. Before he was able to defend himself, the youkai stabbed Jensei in the palm of his right hand with a cursed blade. Before either of them knew what had happened, the wound in Jensei's hand turned into a gaping spiral and sucked the youkai inside. Jensei, though very unorthodox, was truly a good monk. He had a set of prayer beads on him and managed to restrain the wound, which has since been dubbed'the Kazaana' before it did any lasting damage to to the village. Unfortunatley, though he managed to restain it, the blade was sucked into the Wind Tunnel with the youkai so there was in way for him to undo the curse himself."

"At first, it didn't seem like much of a problem to him. Any youkai that dared attack him, met it's death to the Kazaana. It was some time before he realized that it grew slightly bigger with each use and it got harder and harder to restrain. He grew fearful for his own safety annd for the saftey of those around him. For years, he sought the company of preists and miko trying to find some way to undo it. None could help him. He feared that he would never rid himself of it. He swore to never use the Kazaana again, whether for his protection or for anyone else's."

"Word reached him from the village that it had all started in. One of the maids he had lain with, Aika, was pregnant with his child, my father Masato. He hurried back and managed to reach the village within hours of my father's birth. He stayed with Aika for as long as he was able. Even though he no longer used it, the Kazaana was growing larger every day and he new that soon he would no longer be able to restrain it. Mere days before his death, he noticed a strange mark on Masato's right hand. It was a black spiral, the same mark that had been on the youkai's blade. He realized almost immediatly what it meant. His curse had been passed to his son."

"He went to Aika and told her what was happening. He told her that she must tell Masoto what had happened and to tell him everything they knew of the Kazaan and, when the time came, she was to let their son journey to try to find what he himself could not. Jensei stayed with her for one more day and then left, to save her from the Kazaana. It overwhelmed him not long after. My father, Masato, grew up with this knowledge. As soon as he came of age, he left the village in search of the cure. He had no more success then Jensei at first. Over time, he gave up, and began searching for a woman who would bear him a son so that the curse, in the hope that he could find a way to lift the curse. He feared that the curse would spread to innocent people after his death otherwise."

"He met my mother, Yoshiko, and together, they bore me. My father did not stay with my mother. Instead he continued to search. He came across a female crane youkai on his journey that recognized the Kazaana. Though unwilling to trust a youkai, my father was desperate for information. The crane told him of wind youkai to the far south who all possesed a Kazaana. They knew how to harness it's power so it did not consume them over time, the way it would eventually consume him. She looked at Masato's hand and told him he had but a few weeks to live. Masato rushed back to my mother and told her what he had learned. He told her to tell me everything when the time was right. He died a week after his request. My mother, greif-stricken, went to my father's best freind Mushin and told him what had happened and of the curse and his last request. She bade him to look after me. She killed herself later that day."

"Mushin raised me like his own son and told me about my history. The Kazaana fully manifested itself when I reached puberty. I would have set out then had mushin allowed it, but he made me wait until I came of age. I had barely been on my journey for two weeks before the wolves attacked the village I was at. Kouga, fearing the Kazaana's power knocked me out and brought me here."

"I remember the day they brought you in. I thought you were dead at first."

"I thought I was too. Ecspecially when I awoke to see you kneeling over me." His voice went breathy and he chuckled. "I thought you were an angel." He looked over at her grinning. "Until you hit me."

Sango's blush was barely visible in the now very dimly lit cave. "I should hope you wouldn't do that to an angel, you hentai!" She snapped.

"What did he do?" Kagome asked.

Miroku rubbed the back of his head, abashed. "Well, as I said, I thought I was dead and, well -"

"He groped me!" Sango squeaked, blushing darker.

Kagome looked at him shocked. "But you're a houshi!"

"Well, heaven is supposed to be paradise." He said, waggling his eyebrows.

They all laughed at that, even Sango, breaking the tension from Miroku's story. Kagome looked over at Sango. Her past must be as strange to her as Miroku's.

"So, what's your story Sango?" She asked. "I heard you say before that you were a tajai?" She spoke the last uncertainly, because, from the history she had read before she had come through the Bone-Eaters Well, women could not be tajai.

Sango however nodded. "Hai. My family lived in a tajai village. My father lead the village and, under his rule, our warriors were the finest anyone had ever seen." She said proudly. "My brother, Kohaku, was being groomed as the next head of our village, but he was in need of a lot of training to live up to our father's name. I was almost always with him when he trained. I hated being the girl-child. Everytime I was left behind when the men went to battle it pained me."

"To distract myself, I began paying closer attention to the warrior's training. Specifically, Kohaku's. He was not yet old enough to go on missions, so he trained while the men were away. It did not pain him as it did me. He would eventually fight by our father's side. I would not. I wanted so much to be a tajai that, one day while the men were away, I snuck into the storehouse and took some of the older weapons and armor peices that needed repair. All of the women of my village were trained in the repair of weapons and armor, so I knew how to fix them. Kirara, who was barley more then a kitten at the time, helped to keep lookout for me as I repaired them in secret. When I was done, I began training myself. I had seen enough of the men's training sessions to know what to do. I had to modify some of the weapons so that they would be easier for me to weild, but before long I was better than many of the men of my village. I knew my weapons in a way that they did not, for I had modified mine to suit me. I knew all of their strengths and weaknesses and, in my training, I had learn to utilize these to my advantage. I had to keep my knowledge a secret though. If my father were to find out that I had been training, I would have been banished."

"As days went by, I saw Kohaku struggling with his training. I knew I could help him, by telling him what I knew, so I started dropping little hints in our talks. Soon, he was doiing much better. So much better, in fact, that my father agreed to let him go on the next mission. Oh, how I regretted helping him then!" She shuddered. " I couldn't allow him to go. My new techniques were fine in practice, but what if they failed on the battlefeild? What if, by filling his head by my foolishness, I brought about his untimely death?"

"It wasn't long before a mission came up. A large group of insect youkai had been terrorizing some nearby villages and the tajai of our village were hired to take them out. As soon as the men left, I snuck to my hiding place, gathered my modified weapons, donned my stolen armor and went after them on Kirara. I reached them just as they were attacked by the insect youkai. They were horribly outnumbered. I jumped into the battle without thinking. In my very first battle I saved my father, the strongest tajai in the land. One of the youkai snuck up behind him as he battled another and I killed it. We won the battle with no losses. It was an unprecedented victory. I cheered with the men until I saw my father and brother staring at me. The other men began to look around at me too. The realization of what I had done, sent me fleeing into the trees."

"My father came after me. He did not seem angry when he found me. He simply asked how I had gotten my weapons and how I had learned to use them. I told him everything, hoping that my punishment might be lessened if I told the truth. Afterwards, he bade me to take Kirara and go home. He told me to go straight to our house and to tell my mother what had happened. I did what he asked. My mother was furious, but she did not punish me, only saying that my father would know what to do with me."

"That evening, when the men returned home, the village was unusually silent. All of them by now knew what I had done and they all knew what my punishment would be. They were suprised when my father told them to prepare the customary victory banquet that night, but did as he comanded without question. When he came to our house, he told me to prepare for the banquet. He told me to wear the armor and to bring the weapons, which confused me. Kohaku, stayed by my side until the banquet, telling me not to worry and assuring me that father would never send me away. I did not have the heart to correct him. That night at the banquet, father told the entire village what I had done. He called me forward and I stood in front of them all, wearing my armor and weapons, ready to face my punishment. That night, my father suprised every single person in the village, exept for Kohaku. He told them that, in light of the fact that I had saved his life, I would not be punished. Then he went on to say that, because even though I was a woman, I had shown great skill in battle. He told us that I would be allowed to train with the men and, if I proved myself, I would be dubbed a tajai. I was shocked. The village went into upraor, but few openly disapproved."

"Over time, I grew comforatable with my new lifestyle. I trained and battled with them meanand still did my womanly duties. I worked twice as hard as anyone in my village. I taught my new techniques to my father, who, in turn, taught them to the rest of the men. We grew stronger. Too strong. The warlords of the East feared our power. They feared that we would revolt against them, so they set a trap. The wolves had begun raiding villages along the northeastern border. They hired all twenty seven of us and sent us along with fifty of their men to counterattack the wolves."

"When we came upon the raiding party, it seemed like an easy victory at first, but as more and more of our men fell, I began to sense that something was wrong. I looked around to see that the warlords men had fallen back and were readying their arowmen. I realized what was about to happen a second too late. Before I could shout a warning, they fired. Tajai and youkai alike fell to their arrows. My father and Kohaku went down with the first volley. I tried to reach them, but a stray arrow caught my shoulder, just as one of the wolves attacked me. I managed to kill him, but he had wounded me badly. I couldn't even stand."

"Suddenly, more wolves appeared, killing the warlords men and the few remaining tagai. I brandished my sword at them as they came near me, planning to take as many of them as I could into the afterlife with me. They parted suddenly and Kouga came out from the trees, though I didn't know who he was then. I readied my sword. I wasn't going down without a fight. He looked down at me, on my knees, surrounded by his fallen brethren and he laughed. I swung at him, but he evaded me and knocked me out."

"I woke as they brough me into the den. I tried to fight as they took my armor and weapons, but it was no use. They had me. They threw me in here with my clothes. I knew I couldn't escape, there were too many. I've been waiting for an opportunity to escape ever since. I was alone until Kirara found me. Somehow, she travelled all the way from my village, snuck past the wolves and found me in this cave. I don't even think the wolves know she's here." Sango trailed off.

By now the cave was so dark they couldn't see each other. Sango yawned loudly and they all took that as a signal to sleep. Kagome lay down in the darkness, thinking about what she had learned. Sango and Miroku had lead hard lives. Their lives had been full of bloodshed and loss and pain and yet, they seemed at least somewhat happy. She'd had an easy life compared to theirs.

Inuyasha had always called her a whiny brat, and now she realized that she was. So what if she'd been seperated from her family? At least they were alive. The Inu Clan had been very generous to her, conscidering that they had kidnapped her. They could have been treating her like the wolves were treating her now. Looking back, her life with the Inu Clan had been more fufilling and exiting than anything she could have dreamed of back home. She lived in a castle, surrounded by youkai who would no doubt protect her with their very lives if the need arose and all they were asking her was to become their princess. To be with Inuyasha. He wasn't that bad. Or at least she assumed he wouldn't be when she stopped acting like a child.

At that moment, she vowed that if she ever made it back to the Western Lands, she would not try to run again. She would still miss her family, but she was certain that, if she let them go and embraced her new life, she could finally be happy.

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Ok. I know that this chapter seemed a little weird, but let me explain. I rewrote everyone's past for a reason. There is no Naraku or Shikon no Tama in my story. Their pasts are directly linked with Naraku, so I felt it neccasary to rewrite them. Also, I'm giving myself more options for sequels later on. ** HINT HINT** Anyway REVIEW PLZplzPLZplzPLZplzPLZplzPLZ . . . . . etc., etc.


	9. Chapter 9

Impossible Love

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

Chapter 9

Sorry for taking so long. Here it is.

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Inuyasha sat talking with Tonkouro and the others for a long time. The meeting didn't break up until after midnite, when they had a sure plan of attack. The would circle the wolves den to the west, riding on the kitsune's good graces with the the Bear Clan to pass through the heart of their territory. They would attack the wolves from the northern side of their den, their weakest point. The kitsune warriors would then use their illusionary powers to confuse the wolves while the inu warriors took them out. The plan was, first and foremost, a rescue mission, but Inuyasha knew he wasn't leaving until Kouga was dead. That wolf had to die.

He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep so, even though his warriors had brought back enough game to feed everyone several times over, he decided to hunt. He ranged out further than the hunting party had, figuring that any remaining game had fled the immediate area. When he was several miles east of the camp, he leaped into a tree and crouched there. His silvery ears rotated on top of his head, listening for the sounds of prey. He closed his eyes and lifted his nose into the breeze, mentally sifting the scents of the surrounding forest.

An odd aroma reached his nose. Leather, old bones, metal, and blood. Another sniff told him that the creatures carrying the scent were ningen. His ears, picked up the sounds of something being dragged across the ground and at least three sets of footsteps. He silently dropped to the ground and started towards them. As an afterthought, he stopped and closed his eyes, concentrating on concealing his youkai aura, just in case. He started moving towards them again as quickly as he could while being quiet. He caught up with them when they stopped by a large stream, and got his first good look at them.

Two men, and one teenage boy stood around another man on a stretcher. It was hard to tell in the dim moonlight filtering through the trees, but they all seemed to be wearing some sort of armor. Tajai! Inuyasha thought wildly. What are tajai doing here?

Before he could puzzle it out, he sensed something to their left. At almost the same moment, the tajai pulled out their weapons. It was a youkai. Inuyasha couldn't tell for certain what kind, but it's aura was not very powerful, so he assumed it was a low-ranking roaming youkia. Without warning it sprang from the trees. It spun, facing the tajai with a rumbling growl. Ot was a mixed youkai. Six legs stuck out from it's hairy, compact body and it's knobby head seemed to consist almost entirely of it's gaping mouth. Ugly beast, Inuyasha thought to himself. He was fully content to let the tajai fend for themselves, until he sensed more youkai in the trees behind the first one. Belatedley, he remembered that roaming youkia tended to form in groups. He counted at least twenty moving in on the tajai.

He glanced over at them to see how they reacted to this. They looked weary for a moment, before gathering themselves. The two men nodded to each other and the boy crouched down to speak to the man on the stretcher. Inuyasha tilted his ears to catch what they were saying.

"Father. There are too many. . ." The boy was saying, his voice thick.

The man nodded. He reached up and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Kohaku." His hand gripped Kohaku's shoulder a moment longer, then dropped. "Run. Save yourselves. I can distract them and buy you some time."

"No!" Kohaku said firmly, shaking his head. "Your fate will be the same as ours." He stood, facing the youkai. He gripped his weapon, a kind of sythe on the end of a long chain. "Come then, Youkai! Let us see which is stronger; Our blades or your teeth!"

"They don't stand a chance." Inuyasha muttered to himself, realeasing his youkai energy. He stood and stepped from the trees. "Sorry, kid. This fight is now mine." He called to Kohaku. The youkai hissed, snapping it's teeth at him as he approached. Inuyasha regarded it cooly. "Huh. You're even uglier up close."

He unsheathed the Tetsaiga, feeling the pulse of power as it transformed. The youkai roared and charged at him, the rest of the group following close behind. He waited until they were almost on top of him before leaping into the air. He sliced Tetsaiga through the air, sending a shockwave flying into the group. Their bodies exploded into tiny fragments, along with the ground they'd been standing on and a large number of the surrounding trees. Inuyasha landed a few feet back from where he'd been standing.

"Pathetic. Wasn't even close t being a challenge." He grumbled, sheathing the Tetsaiga. He looked over at the tajai. "Sorry. Scum like that get under my skin."

They were staring at him in shock. The two men were looking from from him to the newly formed crater, mouths gaping. The boy was the first to recover.

He stepped towards Inuyasha and bobbed his head. "Arigato."

"Don't thank him! He's a youkia!" One of the men hissed.

"He's not a youkai, he's a hanyou! Abomination!" The other man spat.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, flexing his claws, but the man on the stretcher cut him off. "Silence! That is no way to speak to the one who saved your life!" He snapped. "Help me up, Kohaku." He said in a slightly quieter voice. The boy stepped forward and helped him prop himself up on his elbows. "What is your name?" He asked, looking up at Inuyasha.

"I am Prince Inuyasha of the Inu Clan of the West." He stated proudly. "What is yours?"

"I am Takashi. Leader of the Jewel Drop Village and Head of Tajai." He looked steadily at Inuyasha for a moment. "Though my son has already said it, arigato. We owe you our lives."

"You owe me nothing. I do wonder though. How is it, that tajai warriors are here in the Western Lands? Have you a mission to accomplish?"

"Hai. We do."

"May I ask what it is?"

"To answer that Inu Prince, I must ask that you answer a question for me first. I swore to never speak of certain events lightly." Inuyasha nodded for him to go ahead. "Do you know an inu youkai by the name of Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha's eyes went wide with shock. "Hai. He is my half brother. How is it that you know him?"

Takashi took a deep breath. "Several months ago, my tajai and I took a mission for the Eastern Warlords. The wolf youkai of the north had begun raiding villages along the northern border and we were sent to stop them. We didn't know it at the time, but the warlords had grown fearful of our power. The tajai of the Jewel Drop Village were the best this world has ever seen. They feared we would revolt and so the set a trap. They would eliminate two of their enemies at once. As the wolves closed in, they dropped back and attacked us. An arrow peirced my chest and I fell. I stayed conscious just long enough to see the wolves take my daughter. There was nothing I could do."

"What does this have to do with my brother?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"It has everything to do with your brother."

"How?"

"Becaue, Inu Prince, you just saved four dead men."

"What?!" Inuyasha took a few steps back in suprise. "He saved you with the Tenseiga?"

"If by 'tenseiga' you mean a slender katana with the power to bring one back from the dead, then hai."

"But why?"

Takashi shook his head. "That I don't know. He only said that the katana had lead him to the feild and compelled him to save us."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Sesshomaru saving a bunch of ningens." He muttered to himself wonderingly. Suddenly, he threw back his head and howled, startling the four tajai.

"What are you doing?" One of the men asked accusingly.

Inuyasha sent hima sharp look. "What is your name, ningen?"

"Jiiro." The man snapped.

"Alright, Jiiro." Inuyasha drew his name out mockingly. "If you wish to keep you tongue, I suggest you learn to respect your superiors."

"I respect no youkai! Murderous theives!" Jiiro spat. "I became a tajai because I beleive that youkai are a plague to this planet and a hinderance to ningens everywhere! Begone, youkai filth!" He yelled, drawing his katana.

Takashi glared at Jiiro muderously. Kohaku and the other man were staring at him in shock. Almost simultaneously, they looked at Inuyasha to judge his reaction to Jiiro's words. Inuyasha was angry at first, planning on beheading the ignorant man, but when he drew his katana, Inuyasha was stuck by just how pathetic this ningen was. He tilted back his head and howled with laughter.

Suddenly, twenty or so inu youkai, in various forms, emerged from the trees. Jiiro, Kohaku and the other man froze. They had been so distracted, they hadn't noticed the inu warriors approach. Takashi had.

"What's going on?" Jiiro asked, voice trembling. The scent of fear coming from him almost made Inuyasha sneeze.

"Be quiet, Jiiro! Don't antagonize them!" The other man hissed.

"I will not be quiet, Doshio! Look! They intend to destroy us! We must-"

"That is enough!" Takashi snapped, cutting him off. He looked up at Inuyasha. "What are your intentions, Inu Prince? Am I to take it that we are allies?"

"Hai. We have a quarrel with the wolves as well. That is, if you can stand to be allied with 'filthy youkai'. "

Takashi sent Jiiro and Doshio another withering glance. "You'll have to forgive my men. Though the should be by now, they are not used to change. This will be a powerful step for them. Despite this, I am sure that they will uphold the honor of our village by being curteous to our new allies. That or they may find themselves with no allies at all."

Doshio, hearing the barely veiled threat in Takashi's words, bowed. "Gomen nasai, Inu Prince."

Jiiro looked as if he would rather sever his owna rm than appoligize, but he bobbe his head and mumbled an appology anyway. It irked Inuyasha slightly, but he decided to ignore it for the moment. Jiiro would learn his place or he would lose his head, but there were more pressing matters at the moment.

"Takashi. It is several miles back to our camp." Inuyasha paused. For some reason he did not want to insult this particular ningen and he felt that offering assistance might do just that.

Takashi, thanfully, understood. "Hai. I know what you mean to say, Inu Prince. It would take us some time to reach your camp under or own power. Though I am old and prideful, I am not a baka. Would your warriors care to assist us.

One of the inu warriors in humanoid form stepped forward. "An ally to our prince is an ally to us." He bowed to Takashi."Daisuke would be honored if Takashi-san would accept his assistance."

Takashi bobbed his head. "And I would be honored to accept it."

Three more inu warriors, two male and one female, stepped forwrd and offered their assistance as well. Inuyasha's heart swelled with pride at what Daisuke and the other warriors had done. They had accepted the situation without question and had acted flawlessly. He made a mental not to tell his father what Daisuke had done.

He watched as even more of his warriors stepped forward to help lift Takashi onto Daisuke's back. He had transformed to his full youkia form and was now a little too tall for the tajai to be lifted safley by the other ningens. The next thing he noticed almost made him laugh out loud. The female warrior, whose name, Inuyasha recalled, was Tomoyo, was kneeling in front of Kohaku.

The teenage boy was blushing profusely. Inuyasha could smell the boys embarrassment and, interestingly enough, his arousal. Tomoyo was blushing as well and her body was reacting to Kohaku's scent. Hmm . . Maybe I should invite the tajai to stay in the Western Lands for a little while after the battle, He thought, chuckling.

Then his mood darkened. If they didn't manage to save Kagome . . He refused to let himself finish the thought. I will save Kagome! He thought determindly. His heart suddenly felt heavy. He galnced at the mixed group of youkai and ningen. The could fend for themselves for awhile. He needed to be alone.

He ran to the stream and jumped across it. He ran low and fast. The cool night air, normalling soothing, did nothing to calm him now. It did not erase his sorrow at the thought of being too late. Morning suddenly seemed so far away. Every moment of delay was another moment Kagome spent in Kouga's clutches. His blood boiled at the thought of what she might have already been through. He leaped into a tree and jumped, branch to branch, to the top.

Five days. She'd been gone for five days. He knew that Kouga hadn't mated her, he could feel that much through the mating bond, but that only slightly reassured him. There were so many other ways she could be hurt.

An image of the last time he'd seen her face swam to the forefront of his mind. Her eyes full of pain as she turned away from him sent a pang to his heart. Sorrow washed over him. After all the things he himself had put her through, he didn't blame her for hating him. And from the things she'd said, he knew that she did hate him. I still have to save her! He thought, his hands fisting. He looked up to the half-moon.

"I swear on everything I am, that if I save Kagome and she no longer wishes to be with me, then I will take her to the Bone Eater's Well myself." He cried loudly.

He meant it. If she truly was not happy here, then he would take her home. It would most likely kill him to do it, but he would. He just prayed she was still alive to make the choice.

"Kagome . . " He whispered softly. Tears that he would not allow to fall, glistened in his eyes.

"Don't be upset, Prince Inuyasha." Tonkouro's voice called from below him, causing him to start.

Inuyasha glared down at the him, waring between embarrassment that his moment of weakness had been witnessed and his respect for the old kitsune. "How long have you been there?" He asked jumping down.

"Long enough, young one." They began walking through the trees in the general direction of the camp. "It will work out." The old kitsune said after a moment.

Inuyasha looked up at him. In his full youkai form, Tonkouro was several feet taller than him. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Everyone has doubts. Love is not a weakness, Inuyasha." Tonkouro said, for the first time dropping the honorific.

"You sound like my father, old one." Inyasha snorted, relaxing into a casual tone.

Tonkouro chuckled. "I don't mean to. When you reach a certain age, you can't help but to give advice to those younger than you." They walked in silence for a moment. "You truly do love this woman don't you?"

Inuyasha hesitated for a moment. "Hai. I do."

Tonkouro looked down at him with one large eye. "You can talk to me, Inuyasha. Whatever you have to say will not go beyond these ears."

"Why should I burden you with my troubles?"

"Because talking about them will lessen their hold on your heart and, in doing so, will free your mind for more construtive tasks."

"That and you're just nosy."

Tonkouro laughed loudly at that. "Ah. You caught me."

They laughed together for a moment. For the first time in his life, Inuyasha felt he had made a true freind. He felt more comforatable with this old kitsune than he did with anyone else. Well, anyone besides Kagome. Her name sent a now-familiar pangs of sorrow to his heart.

Tonkouro noticed. "Tell me. How can one you love bring you such sadness? It's not just because she was captured is it?"

Inuyasha sighed. "She may not return my feelings."

"Why would you think that?"

"She practically told me herself. We . . had an argument." He admitted quietly.

"May I ask what it was about?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Might as well."

"Start at the beginning, if you will."

Inuyasha took a deep breath. He told Tonkouro about his and Kagome's past together. He explained who she was and all of her frequent escape attempts. He stumbled a bit over their first meeting, but Tonkouro let him finish without saying a word. Then Inuyasha told him about Kagome's latest attempt. The elder kitsune growled lightly, but did not otherwise interupt. Inuyasha went on to tell him about the marking, blushing slightly and skipping a few details, then he told them about the fight.

" . . and she told me she never wanted to see me again." Inuyasha finished quietly. "After what I've done, I can't blame her."

"Aye, pup. You do have a problem." Tokouro said quietly. "But all may not be as bad as it seems."

"I don't see how it couldn't be."

"Well, from what you've said, she does care. At least a little bit. Maybe this will give you a chance to redeem yourself in her eyes. To show her that you truly do care. You must keep your hope, Inuyasha, for without hope, we are lost."

"There you go with that wordly shit again." Inuyasha jabbed in an attempt to cover his own sadness.

Tonkouro chuckled. "Once again, I appoligize." He shook his head. "My you are so much like your father. He was a headstrong pup as well. No regard for rules that one. He was set in his ways and it seemed like Kami himself couldn't change him."

Inuyasha looked at him in shock. His father used to be like him? He couldn't wrap his head around that image. In a strange way though, it made him happy. If he was as much like his father as Tonkouro said, then maybe he could do grat things with his life as well.

Suddenly, the upcoming battle didn't seem quite as imposing as before. they had a strong army, stronger than he could have beleived posible. And Kagome was a srong woman. She had proved it time and time again. She could hold off Kouga until he got there, he was sure of it.

Tonkouro watched him with amusement. There was a spring in the hanyou's step that hadn't been there before. Inuyasha's confidence seemed to be bolstered, exactly what the kistune had been intending. His own doubts would be best kept a secret for now/

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Ok. I know these last couple of chapters have been mostly talk, but hopefully, things will pick up from here on in. Anyway. Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	10. Chapter 10

Impossible Love

Chap 10

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

Note: 'Tsuki no Kami' is one of the names for the Japanese God of the Moon. I made him the god that the wolves worship.

SORRY!!!!!!!! I edited this chapter a tiny bit and I added an author not at the bottom to explain a few things. Don't be mad. I didn't change anything too much. You probably won't even be able to tell I did a thing. Again. Sorry.

"Oi! Wake up, filth!" A harsh voice snapped.

Kagome jolted awake, momentarily disoriented. A moment later, she snapped fully awake, and pushed herself up off the floor. She stood in one fluid movement. For a moment, she was suprised, her body barely hurt at all, then her head swam and she stumbled. Apparently, moving quickly was still a mistake.

"Best not overexert yourself, miko. You've a busy day ahead." A male voice said.

She looked towards the entrance and saw four wolf youkai, two male and two female, standing just inside the cave. Sango and Miroku had woken as well. They stood and faced the wolves without a word. Kagome moved forward until she was the closest one to the youkai.

"What do you want, fleabags?!" She snapped.

The male who'd spoken before growled. "Watch your tongue, ningen!"

"Calm down, Soura." The female closest to him said soothingly, putting a hand on his arm. Then she leered at Kagome. "Lord Kouga will put her in her place soon enough."

Kagome snorted. "I'd like to see him try, bitch."

"What did you just call me?!" The female snarled.

"You heard me. Bitch."

"I'll rip out your tongue!" She crouched to spring, eyes wild.

Soura put a restraining hand on her shoulder. Now, now, Kimi. Don't let her upset you." He said mockingly.

"What's going on?" A sleepy voice asked. Shippo and Kirara had just woken up. Kagome realized with a jolt that they were only a few feet from the wolves.

"Quiet, brat!" Kimi snarled, aiming a kick at him.

He squeaked and managed to roll away at the last second. Kirara hissed and ran to Sango. Shippo scrambled to his feet and darted to Kagome. He crouched behind her legs trembling. Kimi and Soura snickered. Kagome felt a surge of rage and her vision swam red. She took a step forward, eyes flashing, and took up a defensive stance.

"You will not touch him!" She yelled.

"Ha! As if you could stop me, ningen!" Kimi laughed. then she glared down at Shippo. "Be glad, little kitsune, that Lord Kouga decided to spare you this long. If you weren't his bait to lure in the last of the kitsune race, you would be rotting beside your parents right n-"

"Enough of this!" The second female snapped. "We have a job to do. You have to take the miko to the hot springs as Lord Kouga ordered. Takuya and I are to take the others. Stop this petty arguing and get moving!"

"Don't sound so full of yourself, Okita. You don't have any more authority than we do." Soura growled.

"The kit stays with me!" Kagome snapped as the wolves moved forward.

"Fine!" Soura snapped. "Let's just get this over with. Follow us! Now!"

Kagome shot Miroku a glance. She needed to talk to them alone. Miroku took the hint and stepped forward. "May we have a moment to relieve ourselves, great youkai?" He asked softly, bowing his head.

Okita's eyes narrowed. "Make it quick. Come to the entrance when you have finished." She turned and walked away. The other wolves followed her out.

As soon as she was sure they were out of easy hearing distance, Kagome spun on Miroku and Sango. "Do you two have any idea what's going on? Why are they taking us to the hot springs?"

"Every now and then they take prisoners out in small groups." Sango answered. "They check the caves to make sure no one has tried to escape and remove dead bodies."

"Wait. There are more prisoners here?" Kagome asked in astonishment.

"Hai. Kouga fashions himself as a collector of sorts." Miroku said shaking his head. "Whenever he finds a survivor that amuses him in some way, he brings them back to the den as a prisoner."

"Why?"

"Most of them are meant to be sacrifices."

Kagome blanched. "Sacrifices?"

"To Tsuki no Kami." Sango explained. "It's horrible, but there is nothing we can do to stop it."

"Maybe there is." Kagome said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"I mean this could be our chance to escape!"

The tajai's eyes went wide. "You're right. The springs are located away from the main den. With only four wolves to defeat, our chances are better than we could have hoped."

"What of our belongings? And the border patrols?" Miroku asked.

Sango sighed. "Though I hate to leave my weapons, our belongings can be replaced. As for the border patrols, we head north. I've heard that the patrols there are widely spaced. With any luck, we'll be able to sneak past them before an alarm is raised. Kirara won't be able to travel as fast with all of us on her back, but we should be able to make a good distance before nightfall."

Kagome nodded. "And once we're free, we can tell people about what the wolves have done. If enough people stand against them, there may be a chance to free more people."

"Alright. But a plan does us no good if we can't incapacitate our guard." Miroku cautioned. He looked at Kagome. "Are you up to the task, Lady Kagome?"

Kagome responded with a glare. Though it was true that she had never fought without Inuyasha near enough to save her, she was confident that she could do this. I will make it back to the Western Lands! She thought determindly.

Shippo sniffled, drawing her attention. She looked down at him and saw tears in his eyes. Without a word, she kneeled down and opened her arms. He jumped into them and she hugged him tightly. Though she had not known him for long, she felt very strongly for the kit. She wanted to protect him and keep him safe and she would do anything in her power to do so. The motherly urge suprised her. I can't believe I was ever afraid of him, she thought wonderingly.

"Shippo-kun?" She said softly, pulling back. "When the time comes and I ask you to run, you must promise to do as I say."

He looked up at her, emerald eyes wide. "But-"

She put a finger to his lips, shushing him. "Promise me."

He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I promise."

She smiled and hugged him again. "Good."

Then she stood, still holding him and started walking towards the entrance. As they walked, the everyday noises of the wolf clan, always in the background, grew louder. The dim light of their cave faded as they walked down the tunnel, then grew brighter until it was almost painful. Kagome had it the easiest. She had only been in the cave for a few days and had been unconscious for most of that time, so her eyes hadn't really adjusted. The others had been here much longer. Kirara jumped into Sango's arms and Shippo buried his face into Kagome's shoulder. When they were alomst at the entrance, Kagome stopped.

She turned to Miroku and Sango. "Stop. Close your eyes for a few moments and then open them again. Do it a few times. It'll help your eyes adjust."

They did as she asked and after a few moments they smiled at her. "Where did you learn that, Lady Kagome?"

She didn't have time to answer. Their youkai escorts had grown tired of waiting. "Enough chatter! Move!" Kimi snarled, stepping into the tunnel.

Kagome bit her tongue against a scathing remark and started walking again. For the first time, she saw the inside of the wolves' den. Despite herself, she was awed. She had to pause a moment to gather her thoughts.

Instead of being annoyed, Okita smirked. "Go ahead, miko. Take a good look. Once you are bonded to Lord Kouga, this will be your home as well as ours."

Kagome snorted, but said nothing. By this time tomorrow, she would be well on her way back to the Western Lands and she would never set foot in this mountain again. And a mountain it was. The entire base had been carved out to make one enormous room.

Craning her neck she looked up at the impossibly high ceiling, fifty feet or so above them. Ladders on the walls led to openings set at regular intervals from floor to ceiling. Starting at the second row, the entrances of the openings were covered with fur curtains. The openings on the bottom level were bare. These openings were slightly larger and opened to dark and foreboding tunnels. After a moment she realized they were more prison caves.

She tore her eyes away from the opeings to study more of the den. Gas lamps hung on the walls and ceiling, illuminating the den like sunlight. Intricate tapestries and carvings made of bone hung on every spare inch of wall space. Elaborate rugs covered most of the stone floor.

She was suprised to see that most of the youkai in the den were children. They ran aroud, playing and laughing together. Real wolves ran among them, yipping happily, acting for all the world like tame dogs.

"Alright, she's had her look! Let's go!" Soura snapped, interupting her thoughts.

Takuya glared at him and spoke for the first time. "Your impatience is as taxing as it is unnecessary." They began to argue.

For the first time, Kagome noticed the difference in how Okita, and now Takuya, spoke compared to Soura, Kimi and, in hindsight, Kouga. She studied them for a moment and noticed that Okita and Takuya were decidedly more relaxed than Soura and Kimi, even in the middle of an argument. The later seemed to be riding some sort of weird, jittery, high. She also noticed that Kimi and Soura had red irises. To her knowledge, youkia eyes only bled red when they were consumed by bloodlust and that they didn't stay that way permenantly. Looking back, Kouga's eyes had also been red and he had been unnaturally high-strung as well. For some reason, the thought struck a chord in her mind. Her escorts' argument came to a close and she filed her thoughts away to ponder at a later date.

"Let us continue." Okita said, gesturing for everyone to follow her.

Rather than head for the enormous main entrance, the wolves herded them to a small opening in the back of the den. For a moment, she wondered why none of the prisoners took advantage of this shadowy exit, but when they stepped outside, the reason became clear.

Two wolves, in full-youkia forms the size of huts, stood guard. No ningen would stan a chance against these two. Simply out of curiosity, she looked to see what color their eyes were. Red orbs the size of her head glared down at her. A trickle of fear ran down her spine. She hugged Shippo tighter to her and forced her eyes to focus on Okita's back until they reached to forest. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure this plan was going to work.

OK. First of all, sorry for making you guys think I had posted a new chapter, but this was bugging me.

I know this chapter seemed a little different, but I have good reason for it. I dind't have my materials with me when I snagged this chance to get online, so I had a difficult time remembering what I had written. I didn't know when I didn't know when I could get back online, so I winged it. It's a bit different than what I had done before, but not too much so. Also, this chap was supposed to be alot longer than this, but, because of time restrictions. I am combining the rest of this chapter with the next chapter (as soon as I get done writing it, lol). That's also one of the reasons I didn't write this beforehand.

The other reason is this; I have my story posted on another site and I received a review that was a little disheartening. Ok, that was an understatement. It made me feel like shit. I almost gave up on writing this story because of it. I read the review before I wrote the chapter, like I always do just in case someone suggests an idea that I like, so that's why this chapter seems a little stinted at points.

I'm also not going to be begging for reviews anymore since apparently it 'makes me seem pathetic', so review if you want to. If you don't, oh well.

Thanks for your reviews. Until next chap.


	11. Chapter 11

Imposible Love

Chapter 11

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll!

Ok, guys. Sorry it's been so long since the last update. Life is chaos! But hopefully, things will stay on track and I'll be able to keep up a steady stream of updates from here on in. I don't have a computer so I'm riding on my freind's good graces to post this chap. I'll talk some more at the end. Here it is!

Disclamer: I don't own Inuyasha. I'm not that lucky.

Kagome stepped out into the hot spring clearing, still holding Shippo tightly to her chest. She stopped short. As before with the wolves' den, she was awed.

The pool was enourmous, larger than any she'd ever seen. On closer inspection, she saw thin fingers of rock below the surface of the water, seperating it into smaller pools, each one large enough to seat ten comfortably just around their outer rim. The sandstone around it gave way smoothly to a rough circle of grass and flowers before giving way to the forest again. Mats of thick, soft-looking fur and several large, ornatley carved statues of wolves, surrounded it at regular intervals.

It was beautiful. She suddenly felt the grime and old sweat and blood covering her body, and a longing to be clean. To float in the warm water and let it soak away her aches and worries. She shook herself. There would be time to bathe later.

"What's wrong, ningen? Never seen a hot spring before?" Kimi's sharp voice cut through Kagome's thoughts.

"You know ningens don't bathe right, Kimi. Disgusting creatures!" Soura spat on the ground near Kagome's feet and laughed.

Kagome stiffened with anger, but controlled it. She needed her head clear. Suddenly, She realized she could use their anger against them. It shouldn't take much to piss them off and they wouldn't be in their right minds. Her previous injuries would slow her down, but it was her best option. She took a deep breath and said a silent prayer.

"Actually, I was wondering why the water isn't black, with filth like you bathing in it." She said loudly.

"What did you say?" Soura growled.

"Oh, nothing." Kagome said, smirking back at them. "Just the truth."

Soura growled again. Shippo squirmed in her arms. "Kagome!" He hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Asking for pain! That's what!" Kimi snapped.

Kagome glared at Shippo to silence him. "The only pain you two are capable of is being a pain in my ass!"

"Oh, I can't wait to see Lord Kouga beat you into submission, bitch!" Soura growled.

Kagome laughed scornfully. "As if that mongrel could make me submit!"

"You dare insult Lord Kouga!" Kimi howled, crouching as if about to spring at her.

Soura put a restraining hand on her shoulder, though he looked as if he'd rather spring at Kagome himself. "He wants her alive!" He snapped at her. Then he spun on Kagome. " Now. You can either bathe yourself or I can knock you out and have the kitsune do it! Your choice, bitch!"

Kagome snorted, as if to dare him to do just that, and knelt to put Shippo down. She looked the kitsune in the eyes. He looked terrified. "Remember your promise, Shippo." She whispered, squeezing the kit's hand.

He took a deep breath and nodded. She smiled and kissed his forehead, before standing. She grasped the end of her shirt and started to pull it off over her head. She stopped when she saw Soura staring at her.

"What? Are you going to stare at me the whole time?" She sanpped.

Kimi laughed mockingly. "Don't worry, ningen. He has no intrest in a pathetic little scrap like you. He has someone far more attractive toshare his bed." she moved to wrap an arm possesivley around his waist. "Right, love?"

Soura draped an arm over her shoulders, looking down at her. "More attractive than any, love." The kissed.

Kagome snorted. "Aw. They're perfect for each other, aren't they, Shippo? A whore and a bastard. What a lovely couple!"

There was a split-second of silence in the clearing, before the two youkia snarled. "Fuck the punishment! I'll kill you myself, you filthy ningen bitch!" Soura howled, and leapt at her.

"Go!" Kagome yelled at Shippo, dodging Soura's first furious strike. The kit shot into the bushes without a moment's hesitation.

"He won't get far! I'll hunt him down and snap his little neck after I've killed you!" Soura snarled, swiping at her again.

Kagome darted backwards to avoid him and backed into one of the statues. Soura grinned wickedly as he advanced on her, balling one of his hands into a fist. Kagome tensed and sprang aside as he punched. His fist made contact stone and she heard a sickening crack before the statue literally exploded, sending shards of rock flying in every direction. She heard Soura howl in pain, before something peirced her side. She cried out in pain and hit the ground hard.

She looked down at her side and saw a shard of rock protuding from her flesh. She grasped the part that was exposed and, with a grunt of pain, pulled it free. She looked at it and saw that it was long and sharp and roughly shaped like like a dagger. A weapon.

She pushed herself up and saw Soura holding his wrist. The hand that had puched the rock was broken, the knuckles on it split wide and gushing blood. Kimi made to go to her mate, but he snarled her away. He turned to Kagome, murder in his eyes.

"You'll pay for this, bitch!" He howled and leapt at her again.

This time, Kagome wasn't quite as fast in dodging his swipe. A long gash oped on her uper arm. Ignoring the flash of pain, she leapt on him, aiming for his weakened side. unbalanced from his swipe, he fell. Without thinking, Kagome plunged the rock shard into the exposed flesh of his neck and ripped it sideways, slitting the side of his neck wide open. He gurgled and jerked, hands grasping at his neck, but it was too late. Kagome stood, blood dripping from the rock dagger in her hand. As she watched him die, she noticed the blood-red of his eyes bled into brown. He died with a look of shock on his face.

"No!" Kimi howled, her face a mask of fury and greif. "You killed him!" She screamed and leaped at Kagome.

Instinctivley, Kagome tried to bring her hands up to protect herself. Kimi hit her hard, knocking them both to the ground. Kagome felt the demoness spasm above her. She looked up into Kimi's eyes and started to see brown, instead of red. The demoness looked astonished and opened her mouth as if to speak. A fountain of blood poured out of her mouth and she slumped weightlessly over the miko. Kagome rolled the dead youkia off of her and sat up, wiping blood out of her eyes. She saw what had happened. When Kimi had hit her, the rock dager in Kagome's hand had peirced her heart, killing her.

Kagome sat there, panting. Her head was swimming. She supposed she should feel good about herself, having just killed two murderous youkia, but she didn't. Her mind stuck on their eyes and the shocked looks on their faces as they died.

These red eyed youkia, were they being controlled? And, if so, by what? Who would gain by controling these wolves? More importantly, if they were being controlled and weren't responsible for their actions, then she had just murdered two innocent youkia. The thought horrified her.

She stood and pulled the dagger out of Kimi's chest. "If you really were innocent, gomen nasai." She bowed her head.

She heard a gasp from behind her and spun around. A young, female wolf youkia was standing at the edge of he trees, her arms laden with clothing and frozen in shock. When she saw Kagome looking at her, she dropped the clothes with a small yelp of fear.

"Please don't hurt this one!" She whimpered, dropping to her knees.

Now it was Kagome's turn to look shocked. After a moment, she realized how she must look, filthy and covered in blood, and standing over two dead youkia with a bloody rock in her hand. The young demoness was oviously terrified. And, in that same moment, Kagome realized that this wolf could be useful to her.

"Come here, wolf!" Kagome ordered. "Now!" She snapped when the demoness hesitated.

Kagome winced inwardly as the small girl crawled towards her, sobbing and trembling with fear. She hadn't meant to be so forceful, but she had to look into her eyes. if this youkia's eyes were red, then kagome would have to kill her. There was no other option if she planned to escape with her freinds.

The young demoness stopped about two feet from Kagome, Apparently unwilling to crawl into the circle of blood from her fallen pack mates. "Please . . . please. H-have mercy. don't kill this one!" She sobbed.

"Look at me!' Kagome ordered. The girl lifted her head. Kagome sighed in relief to see two large blue eyes looking up at her. "I'm not going to kill you." She said then. "What is your name?"

"H-Hinata, mistress." The demoness answered, still trembling.

Kagome frowned at the honorific. "Hinata." She repeated. " You have a nice name. Now, Hinata, can I trust you?"

Hinata looked shocked. "F-for what, mistress?"

"Can I trust you to let me go without running to tell your pack what I have done?"

She started trembling harder and bowed her head. "Hinata will be killed, mistress, if she does what the Lady asks. Hinata is a lowly wolf. They will not even stop to hear her beg. Please, do not ask this of her!"

Kagome felt a wave of pity. She couldn't leave the girl here to be killed any more than she herself could stay. An idea popped into her head.

"What if I take you with me?" Kagome asked her.

Hinata looked up in shock. "Leave the pack?"

Kagome nodded, distracted by her thoughts. If Hinata came with them, she could be very useful. Obviously, the girl wasnt a fighter and was very young, but if Kagome could persuade her to do it, she could give the Inu clan invaluble information about the wolves' strengths and weaknesses if they decided to retaliate. She would also give them an extra set of sensitive eyes and ears on the journey back to the Western Lands, which, Kagome was sure, was going to be a difficult journey. She was relativley sure that she could convice Lord Inutashio to give her sanctuary in light of the circumstances. She might aslo be able to shed some light on the mystery of the red-eyed wolves.

She looked down at Hinata, her mind set. "Well, what do you say? Stay here and be killed or come away with me? I won't lie to you Hinata. The journey back to my home will be feirce, but it's better then death. my home lies to the southwest. With the Inu youkia of the Western Lands."

Hinata gasped. "Then you must be the Lady Kagome!" She said in wonder. "The one Lord Kouga plans to mate!"

"I will NEVER mate that bastard!" She screamed, eyes flashing. "That flea-bitten excuse for flesh deserves to die for all that he has done!" Kagome continued to rant, screaming and cursing.

Hinata cowed under the force of Kagome's words. She has such passion!, the young demoness thought. This brave woman is strong and wise, like Lord Kouga used to be. Something about Kagome drew the young demoness to her, filling her with an urge to help her. Her life with the pack had been hard these past years, and here was a chance to ecsape and see the world and be protected by a someone strong. I want to help her, Hinata thought. She took a deep breath. Even if it means betraying my pack. This woman is worth serving.

"This Hinata will go with Lady Kagome." She said softly.

At first, it seemed Kagome hadn't heard her "- and if I have to, I swear I'll drag Lord Inutashio out here by his tail to deal with that bastardly . . . Wait." She looked down at Hinata. "What did you say?"

"This Hinata will go with Lady Kagome."

Kagome looked shocked for a moment and then she smiled. " Good. I could use your help."

"And this Hinata would be glad to give it, Lady Kagome." Hinata smiled.

Ok. Sorry it's kinda short, but it accomplished quite a bit, wouldn't you say? I think I more than made up for Kagome's earlier wimpyness. And I know that Kimi and Soura may have seemed weaker than the average youkia, but that'll get explained later. Anyways, hope you liked it.

And even though its 'annoying' I'm going to ask for reveiws anyway. Let me know what you thought.


	12. Chapter 12

Impossible Love

Chapter Twelve

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

A\N: Sorry it's taken so long. I have my own computer now so i should get in at least one chap a week. Anyways, ON WITH THE FIC!

Shippo darted through the trees in a panic. He didn't know if the wolves were following or whether or not Kagome was going to be ok. He was almost blind with tears, but he kept going, doing as he'd been told. He wondered what would happen to him if something happened and none of them were able to escape. Would the wolves find him and kill him or would they throw him in a dark cell by himself. Sango and Miroku made their cell bearable. he didn't know if he'd last by himself. Wait, he thought. Sango and Miroku might need his help and then they'd be able to help Kagome! He knew they'd gone to the river, away from the sun, so he put the sun at his back and ran as fast as he could.

"You do know this isn't necessary." Kagome grumbled to Hinata.

The young demoness, seeing how much blood Kagome was loosing, by the second, had shown a surprising amount of initiative by arguing to clean and bandage her wounds before they left the spring. Kagome wasn't entirely sure how she lost the argument and submitted with an ill grace. Suppose it wouldn't do me any good to pass out from blood loss while trying to escape, she thought wryly.

"Hinata only wants to make sure the Lady is ok." Hinata said quietly, ducking her head, all submisiveness again.

"Don't try that coyness on me, pup." Kagome scolded lightly. "I've seen the beast behind the demeanor."

Hinata flashed her a smile. It seemed strange to think that a week ago, Kagome was afraid of most youkai and mistrustful of almost all of them, and yet here she was joking with one she'd just met and allowing her to dress wounds shed received killing said youkai's packmates. In some ways, she thought this was just a long and painful dream. Or I've been knocked out so many times I've gone crazy, she thought.

It was true that the past year of her life had seemed like a macabre fantasy, but at the same time, some deep part of her knew that Inuyasha, and therefore this world, was real. She thought back over her revelation about her feelings for him. She'd suffer any amount of pain for him to be real. To have he chance to apologize and tell him how she felt. It hurt just to imagine a world without him in it. To never see his face twisted in that arrogant smirk or see his eyes flash with anger. To never catch those rare smiles or here the softness in his voice on the rare occasions they weren't fighting. To never be able to see if his ears were as soft as they looked.

She smiled at that last thought, remembering all the times she'd tried to sneak and feel them. He'd caught her every time, and seemed perplexed by her facination with them. She'd always loved his ears. Even on the day of their disastrous first meeting she'd been intrigued by them.

"Someone is coming!" Hinata hissed suddenly, jerking Kagome out of her thoughts.

Kagome grabbed her filthy shirt, pulling it on in one fluid movement. They stood, facing the forest on the far side of the hot spring. "How many are there?"

Hinata closed her eyes. "At least two, but . . ." She trailed off, concentrating.

"But what?"

"They do not feel like pack, my lady. They are different." She lifted her nose in the air, trying to scent over blood, death and steam from the hot spring. "This one smells kitsune, neko and ningen. They are close. We must-"

"It's Shippo and the others. I'm sure of it!" Kagome exclaimed.

The bushes on the other side of the hot spring began to rustle and a moment later, an orange blur shot out headed straight for Kagome. It was Shippo. Hinata watched in astonishment as Kagome caught him in midair and hugged him to her.

"Oh, Kagome!" He cried. "Thank god you're ok! I found Sango and Miroku. They're coming. We have to-" He noticed Hinata. "It's another wolf youkai! Run, Kagome!"

He jumped down. This time he would not run. He faced Hinata and growled as ferociously as he could. To his astonishment, she smiled at him.

Kagome crouched and put a hand atop his head. "It's ok, Shippo. This is Hinata. She's going to help us." Hinata bobbed her head.

"Good." Sango said, pushing throught the bushes, Killala on her shoulder.

"We'll need all the help we can get."Miroku said, stepping from behind her. They looked over at Soura and Kimi's bodies as they walked around the spring. "You killed them?" He asked surprised.

Kagome looked away. "I had to." She said defensivley.

Sango knelt beside Kimi's body and pulled the rock dagger out of her heart. "I'm surprised you managed to kill them with this." She remarked, studying the bloody shard. She dipped it in the water, rinsing off the excess blood.

Kagome squirmed uncomfortably. "Kimi was an accident, but she'd have killed me otherwise. I was lucky to survive." She looked up at Hinata apologetically.

The youmg demoness nodded at her. "They were never nice to this one. The lady did what she had to do." She suddenly stiffened. "The pack is coming. We must go. Now."

Sango stood and threw the rock dagger to Kagome. "Keep it. You may need a weapon." Then she reached up to Killala on her shoulder. "Can you carry us?"

Kagome watched in astonishment as the neko leaped into the air and burst into flame. A moment later she was the size of a horse with tusks as long as Kagome's arm. There were bands of fire around her ankles that burned without searing her fur. She floated down to land beside Sango.

"She can't carry all of us if we have to outrun the wolves." Sango said, jumping onto Killala's back with practiced ease.

Hinata stepped forward, trembling. "Hinata can carry Lady Kagome, but we must hurry to the north!"

"Why north?" Miroku asked, akwardly climbing onto Killala behind Sango.

"The northern border is less defended than others. It is our only hope."

Kagome looked at her. "Are you sure you can carry me, Hinata?" The demoness nodded and knelt in front of her.

Kagome smirked. How many times times had Inuyasha carried her like this? She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Hinata's neck. Hinata cupped her hands behind Kagome's knees and stood.

Shippo made to jump up on Kagome's shoulder. "No, Shippo. You'll have to ride with the others." He looked hurt. "I'm sorry." He nodded and jumped up on Miroku's shouder. "Ikuzo!" She shouted, and they were off.

Hinata ran smoothly, but at a blindingly fast pace. Killala couldn't match her speed. Kagome thought for a moment they'd loose each other, but Hinata noticed and slowed down. Howls rang through the air behind them, but they already seemed so far away. They were really escaping! Kagome, full of adrenaline, whooped from pure joy.

Sango guided Killala down closer to them. "What should we expect at the border?" She called out to Hinata.

"There are three patrols, six to each. This one does not know their exact pattern, but we should be able to bypass them without much difficulty."

"What do we do if they try to attack?" Miroku asked.

"Do not stop. They have been ordered not to stray too far past the boundary. There is a river there we must cross. They may not even pursue us over it."

"Then what?" Sango asked.

"Then we head east!"Kagome called. She'd just been thinking about a plan. "Kouga with expect us to head west. If we confuse him we may just have a chance."

"We are nearing the border." Hinata cautioned.

Kagome looked forward. She could see a break in the trees ahead. As they neared it, she braced herself for whatever was on the other side. They broke through rpractically in the laps of one of the patrols. They'd apparently just sat down to a meal, and the sight of five fugitives and an awol pack mate was the last thing they were expecting.

Hinata, who hadn't even slowed, Took two long strides and leaped over the river. Kagome felt a moment admiration for the young demoness; the river had been at least twenty feet wide. Then they were in the trees darting away.

Howls once again rang in the air behind them. They'd done it. They were free! Kagome whooped again. She looked up at the others, smiling widely.

They weren't there. She was certain they'd been right behind them. Then she heard something that made her blood run cold. Distant screams. They'd been caught.

"Oh, god, no!"

R&R Plox.


	13. Chapter 13

Impossible Love

Chapter Thirteen

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

A/N: Told you I'd be able to udate more often. :)I'll talk more at the end. ON WITH THE FIC!

Three days until they reached the border, Inuyasha looked around at all of his warriors, Kitsune and Inu alike. The kistunes had made it obvious that they would follow his orders as well as they did Tonkouro's. Takata and a few others had been slightly hesitant at first, but seeing the way he respected and listened to the advice of their unspoken leader had convinced them. The Inu's had accepted them flawlesssly, after Daichi's episode, and were even sharing fighting techniques with the mostly untrained kitsunes. They favored illusions and trickery to win their battles and were sorely lacking in close-quarters fighting, which Inuyasha was convinced there would be alot of.

The wolves numbered at almost five hundred, pups and regular wolves at their call not included. Tonkouro had told him that three years ago the wolves began pillaging small villages and their numbers had slowly risen to well over the norm for any youkai clan. They'd mostly kept to themselves before that, as every clan did. Inyasha agreed with Tonkouro that their rising numbers had obiously put taxes on their food supply, forcing them to 'outsearch' for supplies. That did not absolve them from blame and Inuyasha had voiced his astonishment that no one had spread the news of the wolves destruction or had retaliated for their misdeeds.

Tonoukro's explaination had been simple. Hardly anyone survived and most who did were taken prisoner or were picked off by the lesser demons in their greif and misfortune. Their numbers were too great for anyone to amass the numbers neccary to hope to have a chance at winning.

Upon hearing this, the Inu's had begun training when they camped. As the Inus trained all warriors as if war were on their gates, they had already been trained to face multiple attackers, but they practiced, rehoning their skills, teaching the kitunes at the same time. The injured kitsunes helped by creating illusions of groups for the inu's and other kitsunes to practice fighting with. Kohaku watched them intently and began modifying some of the Inu's techniques for his use and began teaching the others a few of his techniques that they could do the same with. To the boy's suprise a few of the youkai had, upon seeing him train with a colapsable double-ended staff, asked him to teach them the technique. He told them to find strong wood or bamboo staffs to practice with and began teaching them. The two female kitsunes who had stepped forward to learn the new technique, soon mastered the basics and could be seen training with each other every spare moment they had.

Inuyasha was very proud of his warriors and was very confident that they would succeed in rescuing Kagome and the kit the kitsunes sought. A thought occured to him and he sought out Tonkouro. The elder kitsune had taken the kits away from the camp to hone their skills of illusion. They wouldn't be fighting in the battle, of course but Tonkouro wanted them to be able to defend themselves better. He'd taken them away for the other kitsunes so they wouldn't feel self conscious of their child-like illusions.

About a mile into the forest, he began hearing shouts and the sounds of scuffling coming from a clearing. Sudddenly he was curious to see how young kits were trained. He masked his energy and leaped high into a fir tree to watch.

They'd apparently just finished warming up. Black, red and gray kits were spread out in lines facing Tonkouro. Inuyasha was surprised to see that each each kit was supporting a small ball of fox fire. He'd thought only older kitsunes could call the mysterious floating flame to their bidding. He was also surpised to see that the color of the flame differed depending on the kit's coat color. Blue-green for red tailed kits, purple for black and pink for grey. When he'd seen these colors when the older kitsunes trained he'd thought it was about preference. Seeing the kits, he realized it was more than that. Without warning, the elder kitsune called his own ball of opaque, white fox fire and created an elaborate illusion; small dragons, one for each kit, each a unique color with distinct markings that Inuyasha could make no sense of.

The multi-colored dragons lifted off as one and flew at the kits and they responded with illusions of their own. Each kit seemed to respond to their dragon differently and their choice of illusion type differed via their coat color. Inuyasha suddenly realized another reason kitsunes of diffent coat colors stuck to their own. Their magic was black kits had aggressive tastes in illusion choices, the reds were more conventional, and the greys illusions, while they lacked in agression, seemed to move more freely and with more grace than the others.

He watched for a while, actually finding he enjoyed watching the young kits learning, before remebering why he'd come. Deciding to throw his own mix into the kits' training, he released his aura in a rush. Those foolish enough to take their eyes off their dragons to see what was happening received a few bumps and a valuble lesson: never take your eyes off of your opponent.

Crouching on all fours, he darted across the clearing, manuvering around the individual battles easily, until he reached Tokouro. The elder kitsune was lying sphynx-like, his eyes glazed slightly white from the illusions he was controlling. Inuyasha sat indian-style and crossed his arms, hands inside the sleeves of his fire-rat haori.

They sat for a moment in companionable silence before Tonkouro spoke. "What brings you to our training session, Prince Inuyasha?" He asked formally.

"I had a thought I wished to speak to you about." Inuyasha responded, keeping the formality going. He'd sensed that the elder kitsune wished to keep their easy comraderie secret for the time being. While he didn't fully understand why, he followed the elder's lead. "You mentioned that Kouga kept other prisoners and it gave me an idea."

"Yes." Tonkouro prompted when Inuyasha paused.

"If we are trying to rescue Kagome and the kit you are concerned about, why not release all of the prisoners?"

Tonkouro turned his head towards Inuyasha slightly. "Why should we waste our recources rescuing those that do not concern us? Explain your reasoning."

Feeling like he was being drilled by an instructor, he held back a smirk. "If there are more youkai being held, they may be able to help us if we decide to take down the wolves once and for all. You do agree that there rampage must be stopped, don't you?"

"Hai, but what if they are not willing to fight?"

"Then they will owe both the Inus and the Kitsunes a life debt. No disrespect intended, elder, but in your current state, having a few owe you a debt would no doubt pay off." Inuyasha stated tactfully.

"Those who have been taken will not have much to give."Tonkouro reminded him sternly. "But it bears fruit for thought."

They turned their attention back to the kits who,not surprisingly, had begun to tire. They fought their dragons as if their lives really depended on it and Inuyasha was sure they'd be able to distract their opponents long enough to get away at the very least. Tonkouro called a halt and withdrew his illusions. There was a moment when his eyes glazed over completley white, before they faded to their normal icy blue. Inuyasha waited patiently while Tokouro spoke to each and every kit, praising and giving advice where it was needed, before they escorted the kits back to camp.

"Come." Tonkouro said to Inuyasha when the kits were settled. "Let us speak further."

"Hai." Inuyasha nodded and they set off.

As they, left the camp further behind, Tonkouro increased his stride, taking the lead. Inuyasha was content to follow and the elder kitsune lead them to a small, sparklingly clear lake. Without preamble, the kitsune charged into the water until it lapped at his stomach, before turning to face Inuyasha, who'd stopped on the shore. When he laid down, only his head and tails floating on the waters surface were visible.

"I didn't think you mind me taking a dip while we talked." He stated lightly, giving Inuyasha a toothy smile.

Inuyasha laughed. "Not at all. In fact, I think I'll join you. "

He shed his haori and inner wrap unselfconsciously, until he stood naked on the shore. He walked into the water until he was waist deep, before pushing off with his feet and striking towards deeper water. He decided he wanted to swim for a moment and dove under the waters surface, still kicking. He swam down to the lake's bottom and sat there, digging his claws into a rock below him to hold him in place. He stayed like that, watching a school of freshwater fish swim by.

As he sat there he thought of Kagome. They'd never gone swimming before. She liked the lake beside the castle. Perhaps she'd enjoy swimming with him after they returned home. If she'd stay with him. He hoped against hope that he'd be able to win her over. He would die if she left through the well, never to return. He just wished they weren't taking so long to get there.

He sighed and watched the bubbles float to the surface, before following them. He broke the waters surface with a gasp and flipped his hair out of his face. He floated there for a moment, before swimming back towards Tonkouro.

"Now." Tonkouro said when Inuyasha reached him. "What made you think of rescuing the other prisoners as well?"

"It just seems like the thing to do." He answered. "I'm pretty sure that he has prisoners from many clans and he may be using those prisoners as bargaining tools. Like telling the other clans to do as they say or else he'll execute them. If we take out Koga's bargaining chips then it should make it all the easier to take him down. Who knows? We may even make allies in clans that would never have allied with us otherwise. I makes sense from all sides."

Tonkouro's gaze peirced him. "All good reasons, but I sense those are the things you have thought of after your decision was made. I want to know why."

Inuyasha's anger flared. only his respet for the elder kitsune kept him from lashing out. "Why does it matter?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"You are a good leader Inuyasha, bright and quick of mind, but I want to make sure you didn't just come up with this decision on a whim and decide to do it without a moments thought. What if you did not have anyone to discuss it with?" He asked pointedly. "Would you have gone through with it without thought? Have you given thought to the fact that it will thin our lines, make us more vunerable? One wrong move and this mission will fail and we will all lie dead at the wolves door. Do you wish that? For then your Kagome will be forever trapped to Kouga's bidding."

Inuyasha stood and faced the elder kitsune, full of rage. "How can you say that's what I want? So I didn't think it through entirely. So what? It might not be easy, but it is the right thing to do. Think of kits. Think of them trapped. Would you go into their midst and take only the ones you knew and leave the rest behind? Would you dash their hopes and leave them on death's door?" He spat. "Because that is what Kouga is to those prisoners. He is death. Would you leave them to that fate if we could save them?"

Tonkouro stayed still and tranquil through Inuyasha's rant. As the waves of the young hanyou's anger played out he stood, turning to fully face him. "That is what I wanted to know."

Inuyasha was shocked. It took him a moment to respond. "What?"

"You beleive it is the right thing to do stronlgy enough to fight for it. "The elder kitsune stated serenely. "And you are right, on all counts. I will commit my kitsunes to this cause."

Inuyasha was still slightly shocked, but nodded. "Thank you, Tonkouro."

The elder kitsune flashed him another toothy smile. "What better than to do on a fool's errand than play the fool?"

Inuyasha smiled back, all traces of anger gone. He felt he had just passed some sort of test. "And there you go with that phyco-babble again."

They both laughed. "Would you mind though, telling me what you were thinking of when the thought came to you?" Tonkouro asked lightly, lying back down in the water.

Inuyasha looked down and sighed, flipping onto his back to float in the cool water. He didn't answer for a few minutes, trying to truthfully answer. "Kagome. "He said finally. "It's what she would do. She'd want to make everyone safe."

"Aye. I thought she had something to do with it."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, confused.

"Nothing seems to drive you young males to extreemes like young females."

Distant howls broke through the air, breaking up the peaceful moment. Something was happening at camp. Inuyasha leaped from the water and shook himself dry, before pulling on his haori. Tonkouro shook himself and Inyusha leaped into a tree to avoid getting drenched by the great sheets of water flying off of the enormous kitsune. They took off flying through the trees at blurring speeds. Tonkouro, being faster than the hanyou, reached the camp first, barreling into the clearing. Inuyasha followed a second after to see the inus grouped aroud something.

They parted as he approached and he saw it was the two female trackers who had brought back the information of the wovles numbers. He'd sent them back to give word to his father of their progress two days ago. Since they traveled without stopping they were able to cover many more miles a day than the group was. Still, Inuyasha was surpised they caught up so fast. He hadn't expected them until tomorrow at least.

"Faryae. Kasumi." He greeted them. They bowed crossing an arm over their chests. "You must be lighter of foot than most rabbits I've hunted to have caught up with us so fast." There was a collective laugh. The trackers however didn't smile. "What news do you bring?"

Kasumi, bowed her head further, dark hair falling over her face. "News of your Lady Mother Prince and of the late Lady Sousayinu's daughter, Princess Iyayuma, oh Prince."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "What is the news?"

"The wounds Princess Iyayuma received from the wolves are healing rapidly, but the healers are afraid there will be permanant damage to her face and they say she may never regain the use of her left arm. She hasn't woken to receive the news of her Lady Mother's passing."

Inuyasha closed his eyes, pain for his half-sister coursing through him. She was going to need his support more than ever. Distantly, he wondered if the tracker they'd sent after his bastardly brother, Sesshomaru had reached him with the news yet. He shook himself. There would be time to think of that later.

He turned his attention back two the trackers. "And what news of my mother?"

Faryea answered, curly brown curls trembling. "The wounds Lady Megumi received from the late Lady Sousayinu have begun to fester. They are not sure if, in her weakened state, she will be able to fight off the infection for long. The healers are trying every remedy they know, but she has slipped into a fevered sleep and won't awaken."

Inuyasha could do nothing but stare. His body literally locked down from shock. His mother . . . Dying? It couldn't be. She couldn't die. He knew had to control his emotions in front of his clan, but this was too much.

"Thank you for the news. Rest and feed." He said distractedly to the two females.

Then he was gone, darting through the trees faster than he ever had before. He didn't know where he was going. He saw a tree to his left that towered over the ones around it. He darted to the very top, barely concentraing on where he placed his hands and feet. He stood there, staring up at the moon. Suddenly it was all too much. Tears rolled down his cheeks for his mother, for Iyayuma, for Kagome. He threw back his head and howled his sadness to the Lady Moon.


	14. Chapter 14

Impossible Love

Chapter Fourteen

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

Hinata and Kagome were still darting through the trees. Kagome was desperatley trying to pull her legs out of Hinata's grip. Tears were rolling down her cheeks at the thought of what her new freinds must be going through.

"Stop, Hinata!" Kagome cried desperatley." What are you doing? We have to go back!"

Hinata didn't slow. "We cannot. We will be captured."

"I won't leave them behind! They'll be killed!" Kagome cried.

"And we will be killed if we return." Hinata replied.

Kagome tried and failed to pull herself from Hinata's grasp again. "Then put me down! I'll go back myself!"

Hinata finally stopped. She released Kagome's legs and Kagome slid down on her feet. Hinata spun to face her. "Do they mean your life, Lady?"

Kagome thought about it. She'd only just met Shippo and the others a few days ago, but they had formed a quick freindship. Freinds were few and far between for her. She knew only a handful of people. She wouldn't leave them to die. Even if it meant turning herself over to Kouga. She would see them free. They deserved it after what they'd been through.

"It won't come to that. At least, I don't think so. Kouga wants me alive. It's time to see just how much he wants me."

Hinata looked down. "Hinata has sworn herself to you, Lady Kagome. This one will do as you say." She looked back up.

Kagome put a hand on her shoulder. "I will protect you from Kouga's wrath. No matter what happens. I swear it."

Hinata smiled at her, but there was a haunted look in her eyes as she turned to offer Kagome her back. Kagome climbed on and they set back off towards the border. At was nearing dark by the time they reached it. Kagome signaled for Hinata to stopped just inside the tree line on their side of the river.

When they parted the bushed to look, Kagome was astonished by what she saw. Hinata gasped beside her. There were forty crimson eyed wolves on the river bank around a large fire. But that wasn't as surprising as the fact that intermingled with them were giant spider youkai. Each had the lower body and eight legs of a spider with a human torso where the spider's head should have been.

Kagome searched the crowd and saw Kouga standing beside the largest of the spiders. She wore a crown of webbing and bones atop her head. She was the Spider Queen. She tore her eyes away for them to search for her freinds. She gasped at what she saw. They were suspended by their hands from a line of webbing, Killala by her legs. Shippo, Sango and Miroku were bare from the waist up and she could see marks on heir backs. They'd been whipped. Killala had been burned badly. Kagome's body shook with rage.

Hinata began tugging on her sleeve and she tore her eyes away from her freinds to meet Hinata's terrified eyes. "My Lady! We must flee. The Black Queen. She has no mercy! She is the one who corrupted Lord Kouga! She will kill the Lady and this one too! Please!" She begged in a whisper, tears filling her eyes.

Kagome put a hand to her shoulder. "Stay here. Keep quiet until I signal for you. I have a plan." The she stood and stepped out into sight. "Kouga!" She yelled loudly. Every youkia turned to face her.

Kouga stepped forward until he was at the head of the group. "I knew you'd come back for your freinds!" He called back.

"Release them!" She called at him.

Kouga laughed wickedly. "And why should I do that?"

Kagome pulled the rock dagger from her waistband and put it to her throat. "Because if you don't, I will kill myself and all of your plans go to hell. Clear enough for you?"

Kouga laughed again. "And I'm supposed to beleive that?"

Kagome pushed the dagger into her skin hard enough to draw blood, ignoring the pain. "Oh, yes. I have nothing to lose. You do. What do you say now, fleabag?"

He paused for a moment. He turned to his wolves and gave a command she didn't hear and one of the wolves slashed through the webbing binding her freinds. They fell to the ground hard. Then he gave another command the wolf who'd cut their binding and three more moved forwards to them. The wolves grabbed them by their heads and put their claws to their throats in almost prefect unison.

Kouga looked at her and smiled evilly. "Agree to becoming my mate or they die now!"

"Don't do it, Lady Kagome!" Sango called. "Save yourself!"

"Quiet, bitch!" The wolf who was holding her snapped, he slashed her face with one claw.

"Stop hurting them!"Kagome screamed with all her might. "Forgive me, Inuyasha." She whispered. Then she looked back up at Kouga. "I agree. But you have to bring them to me before I cross the border."

"Done." He snapped a command and the wolves holding her freinds, picked them up and moved towards the river. Each one took a running leap, barely clearing the water.

They let her freinds drop and stood back. "Call them back across the river. I won't run away from my word."

"Will you swim back across?" He called sarcatically.

"No." She signaled to Hinata and the young wolf came out of hiding, trembling with fear. There were gasps from the other wolves. "One of your number has pledged herself to me. She will escort me back across."

Kouga was shaking with rage. "Fine!" He spat. "Come!" He called to the wolves. They immediatley jumped back across the river.

Kagome ran to her freinds. "Oh, gods. Are you all ok?"

Sango sat up painfully and pulled the up of her suit up to cover her chest. Shippo crawled to her, sobbing, and crawled into her lap. "Oh,Kagome. Why'd you do it?" He cried hugging her. "Now you have to stay here forever."

"You shouldn't have done it, Lady Kagome. We're not worth it." Sango said to her. Killala mewed pitifully and crawled into the tagai's lap. Sango petted the abused neko's flesh tenderly.

"She's right, Lady Kagome. We have no future. You do. You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for us."Miroku said, getting up painfully. It looked like the wolves had whipped him worse than the others.

Kagome felt a pang in her heart. "I couldn't leave you to his bidding." She hugged Shippo tenderly before doing the same to Miroku and Sango. She ran her hand over Killala's head. "Is she well enough to get you away from here?" Kagome asked Sango.

Sango looked down at the neko. "Killala?"

The neko mewled and got to her feet. She limped away from them and transformed. The transformation actually seemed to help. In her larger form the burns were much less noticable and she seemed to move with less pain as she walked back over to them.

Sango stood and wrapped her arms around the neko's neck and hugged her. "Thank you, my freind."

Kagome picked up Shippo and stood. "Look. Kouga's a sneaky enough bastard that he may try to come after you. Stick to the plan we had before. If you explain what has happened to Lord Inutashio he may grant you sanctuary in exchange for information."

"If only the spiders hadn't shown up when they did. They were the one who captured us." Sango said, hugging her again, tears in her eyes.

Hinata stepped forwards and bowed to them. "It is this one's fault. Hinata did not know that the Black Queen was returning today."

Kagome walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "How could you have known? This is not your fault, Hinata."

"My patience grows thin, miko." Kouga called to them.

Kagome glared at him before looking back at her freinds. "Go."

Shippo hugged her tightly and Sango and Miroku bowed. "Lady Kagome." They said in unison. Killala bobbed her large head. They mounted Killala and Kagome handed Shippo, who was still crying to Miroku.

Killala lifted off and Kagome watched them disappear over the trees. The she turned to Hinata. The young demoness was still kneeling and had tears rolling down her cheeks. Kagome kneeled besida her.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Hinata shook her head. "This one is scared, Lady." She looked up at Kagome with tear filled eyes.

"I promised to protect you, Hinata. I won't break that promise. Now let's go face that bastard!" She growled, her hands balling into fists.

Hinata nodded and spun to allow Kagome onto her back. As they leaped across the river, Kagome felt tears well in her eyes, but she held them back. She felt as if she were jumping straight into hell.

When they landed, Kagome signaled for Hinata to let her down. The she spun to face Kouga. He smirked and walked forward, "Kagome." Then he pointed at Hinata. "Kill the traitor!"

"No!" SHe moved between Hinata and the wolf who'd stepped forewards. "She is mine!" She glared at Kouga. "As I've agreed to be your mate, that means I am now your Queen. You will not touch her." She glared around at the wolves. Her words seemed to hold their weight in each pair of crimson eyes.

Kouga growled. He saw it too. "Not yet, miko."

"Oh, let her have her pet, Lord Kouga." The Black Queen spoke for the first time. Her voice sounded whimsical and slightly eerie. "It won't do any harm."

Kagome turned her full attention towards the Spider Queen for the first time. She had to look up as the Queen was over six feet tall on her hairy spider legs. Her face was beautiful. Thin black lines traced her eyes and mouth, emphasizing their colar and largeness. Her eyes were a mixture of coal black and fiery crimson. She wore a simple, but elaboratley decorated wrap around her breasts. The ningen half of her darkened below her bellybutton and merged seamlessly with her lower arachnid body. The full efect was startling, with beautiful ningen and grotesque spider melded together.

"Lady Silina." Kouga greeted her before guesturing at Kagome. "This is the future salvation of the Spider and Wolf Clans, the Miko Preistess from the future, Kagome Higurashi."

Silina sneered down at her. "Pathetic scrap to look at, Lord Kouga. Are you sure she is the one?"

"Hai. I've seen some of her power."

"She must be more raw than a newborn then. I don't sense it at all."

Kagome, who had been listening to the exchange with great intrest, bristled. Deciding to show these youkai who they were dealing with, she mentally reached for the power that lay dormant in her soul and let it pulse. She knew she had power and she let them feel it. They didn't have to know she couldn't control it.

Silina's eyes opened wide with surprise."Well. Maybe she does have potential."

Kouga smirked. "I told you so." Then he looked around at the wolves. "Come. Let us return to our den." He turned back to Silina. "Shall you and yours join us, Lady?" He asked in the manner of someone who already knew what the answer would be.

Silina nodded her beautiful head. "Hai. We shall."

Kouga turned to Kagome and looked her over. "You still haven't bathed. You!" He pointed to Hinata, who was still kneeling at Kagome's feet trembling with fear. "As you have already sworn yourself to her, you are now her Lady's Maid. You will fetch her anything she desires!"

Hinata bowed her head. "Hai, My Lord." She whispered.

"Hochki! Tenne!" He barked and two very imposing looking wolves stepped forwards. "Escort them to the hot spring! You will guard her from harm and see that she doesn't escape again!" They nodded, thick muscles rolling beneath their skin fluidly. "Yumi!" A slender, dark skinned female stepped forward. "Fetch your future Queen some suitable attire and bring it to her! Bring bandages for her wounds as well." She nodded and took off into the trees towards the den.

Without a word Kagome moved to climb onto Hinata's back and her two forced bodyguards moved to flank them. "Don't try anything, miko." Kouga growled at her.

She glared at him. "I told you I wouldn't run away from my word, you worthless scrap of fur!" She snapped. "I've agreed to be your mate to save my freinds, but I refuse to be your puppet!"

"Go ahead, Kagome. Try me. Soon you will be mine. You can choose a life of luxury as my Queen or a life of misery as my concubine. Your choice!" He snarled.

Kagome simply shot him another glare. "Ikuzo." She said to Hinata.

The young demoness stood and darted into the trees, Hochki and Tenne following wordlessly. Kagome could barely hold her tears at bay. By agreeing to become Kouga's mate, she felt like she had commited a great betrayal. There would be no hope of escaping now. These two youkai didn't look as easy to kill as Soura and Kimi had been. When they reached the hot spring, which was lit with torches, Kagome was thankful that their bodies had been removed. The broken statue and blood-stained ground were the only signs of the two youkai's demise. Hinata stopped and Kagome slid to the ground.

She turned to face her bodyguards. "Turn away. You shall not see your future queen unclothed." She ordered. They simply nodded and moved to opposite sides of the spring, turning their backs. She looked down at Hinata, who looked calmer now that she knew she was going to live. "Are there any soaps, Hinata?" She asked.

The demoness nodded. "Hai, My Lady."

As Hinata turned to fetch the soaps, Kagome let her shoulders droop and tilted her face to the moon. Oh, Inuyasha, she thought. Why has it come to this? I finally realize I love you and now I'm sworn to Kouga. A tear rolled down her cheek and she brushed it away angrily. She shook herself and squeezed her eyes shut against her tears. She couldn't afford to break down now. She had to stay strong. Inuyasha would have wanted that, she was sure.

Hinata moved back to her with a lump of sweet smelling soap. "It's was made from the vines there." She pointed at the flowery vines winding up the trunks of the trees at one edge of the clearing.

Kagome honestly couldn't care less where the soap came from, but she sensed Hinata needed some reassurance. "It smells nice. Why don't you bathe with me? You can help me wash my hair." Kagome picked at a matted strand that was caked to her shirt with dried blood.

Hinata smiled at her. "And then Hinata will redo the Lady's bandages." She stated.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "What is it with you and patching me up? "She asked sarcastically. Then she sighed. "Let's get clean."

Kagome peeled off her filthy clothes and the quickly done bandages and waded into the water. She hissed as the hot water seeped into her cuts and scrapes making them burn. She waded in until she was waist deep and held her breath, ducking her head under the water and flicking it to remove as much of the dried blood as she could. It took several breaths to get it even partially unmatted. By this time, Hinata had removed her clothes and the young demoness waded to her with the soap and a scrap of fur in her hand.

"My lady." She said quietly, before begining to work the soap into Kagome's hair.

Kagome closed her eyes and let herself relax for a moment. Iyayma used to wash her hair like this. With a pang, Kagome realized she didn't even know if her freind was still alive. She would never know. Again, she had to fight back tears. After Hinata had her hair thoroughly lathered, Kagome took the soap and began working it into the fur. Letting the soap float to the surface, she began washing her face. She ignored her bruises and scrubbed hard. Hinta began combing her fingers through Kagome's hair, using the soap as a lubricant to work out the matts in her hair. Kagome worked her way down her body, rinsing and re-lethering the fur several times, until all the dried blood was gone and she finally felt clean. The water around them had turned pink with the dried blood and the blood from Kagome's wounds, which had started to bleed again after their rigorous cleaning.

"Let me rinse." She said to Hinata. The young demoness removed her hands and Kagome ducked under the water again. She flicked her hair a few times before moving to the side of the pool.

Yumi, the demoness Kouga had sent for clothes, darted into the clearing then. A pile of clothes and other things in her hands. Kagome sighed. She'd have liked to soak for a few minutes, but she moved towards the demoness anyway. Hinata followed her out without a word.

Kagome looked back at her. "No. Go ahead and finish bathing."

Hinata shook her head. "This one must do the Lady's bandages or she will get bloody again."

Kagome didn't argue with her and she walked towards Yumi, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Yumi kneeled and bowed her head, before spreading what she'd brought out on the ground. Hinata, who had fetched two furs without being asked, spread one out on the ground and held one out to Kagome. She took it and began drying off wiping off the new trickles of blood from her wounds.

"Osuwari, my lady, and this one will do your bandages." Hinata said lightly. Kagome did so and Hinata picked up the bandages and set to work.

Yumi held up a comb. Kagome went to take it. "I will do it for you, my Lady." Kagome shrugged and Yumi started easing the comb through her hair. Her touch was feather light.

Kagome sat still as they worked on her. Is this what being a Queen feels like? She asked herself. She felt like there was a hole forming in her heart, sucking in her emotions and leaving her numb and cold. Her future was a spiraling black pit of despair and her past was painful and hard to examine. She had nothing. Nothing to gain. Nothing to lose. She wished she could die.

There you go! My longest chapter yet. Think of it as my belated holiday gift to you, my readers!


	15. Chapter 15

Impossible Love

Chapter Fifteen

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone. Sorry its taken so long. I'm having some issues about getting online.

Sango rolled over painfully and shivered. She opened her eyes and was startled for a moment before she remembered where they were. They'd flown until they'd found a cave suitable for them to spend the night in- Sango wasn't comforatable sleeping out in the open without her weapons in hostile territory. She sat up and looked over at the others. Killala and Shippo were curled up into a ball together and Miroku was laying on his side, one arm under his face.

The events from yesterday flew back to her and she jumped up ignoring the pain of the wounds on her back. They had to reach the Inu's territory as soon as possible. They had to do everything they could to save Kagome. Sango was still surprised at the girl's selfless sacrifice. No one had ever done anything like that for her before.

She leaned over and nudged Miroku. His eyes flew open and he sat up quickly. "What is it? What's wrong?" He yelled, waking Shippo and Killala up.

"Nothing." She said soothingly. "It's morning. We need to head out soon."

Shippo stretched and jumped up. "We have to save, Kagome!" He didn't even seem to notice the wounds on his back. Killala mewed, stretching and ran to the head of the cave. They all walked outside, blinking in the sunlight. Twenty minutes later, they were soaring over the trees. They'd made half of the loop around the wolves territory last night, so they headed south towards the lakes.

They flew in silence, each lost to their own thoughts. Sango tried to remember everything she knew about the different youkai territories in the area. She felt naked without her weapons. If they were attacked, there would be nothing they could do but run. She didn't like feeling defenseless. It reminded her of when she'd lost everything in one great act of betrayal. After they saved Kagome, she was going to find the place where her fellow tajai had died. If it took the rest of her life, she would see her fellow tajai's bodies laid to rest in hallowed ground.

Howls peirced the air around them, cutting through her thoughts. Her first thought was that the wolves had found them. "Killala! Faster!"

Killala roared and picked up her speed. There were sounds of pursuit below them. Out of nowhere, a giant snake reared its head over the tops of the trees and knocked them all to the ground. Sango tucked her body and rolled as she hit, evening out the impact and gaining her feet in one move. She spun to face the snake, only to see it disappear in a flash of multi-colored fire. The wolves don't have illusion capabilities, she thought wildly. As the sounds of pursuit grew louder, she grabbed a branch that had snapped off a tree as they fell and swung it through the air, testing it. It would function as a rough weapon. She glanced around to see the others to locate them and moved between them and their pursuers. She would fight with everything she had. She had no intention of being taken back to the wolves territory. This time, it would be to the death.

Youkai came through the trees in front of her. She felt a moment's surprise when she saw what kind they were. Inu youkai were almost never seen this far to the northeast. There were five of them. She didn't let down her guard. Youkai were youkai, Shippo and Killala excluded, and she wouldn't be taken prisoner again. Wait, she thought. Inu youkai! They might be the same clan that Kagome came from!

"They aren't wolves." One of them said. He sniffed the air. "But they smell like them." There were a few growls.

"If they are allied with the wolves, they deserve to die!" Another snarled.

More movement in the trees and Sango was astonished to see even more Inus come through the trees. There had to be over a hundred of them. More astonishing was the fact that intermingled with them were kitsunes of varying coat color.

A red kitsune female stepped forwards. "Look! They have a kit prisoner! Get them!" She leaped towards Sango.

Sango yelled with surprise and swung the branch knocking her out of the air. "He is not our prisoner!" She heard Miroku yell from behind her. He moved beside Sango

"These are my freinds!" Shippo called, leaping onto Sango's shoulder. Gasps rang from the youkai.

The female youkai who had attacked stood and faced Sango, growling. "Stop! That is my daughter!" Sango's heart stopped. It couldn't be her father. She'd seen him die with her own eyes. The youkai parted and she was atonished to see him sitting on the back of a large inu youkai. "Sango!" He called. The youkai kneeled and he got to his feet. He was obviously injured, but undoubtedly alive.

"Sister!" Her heart skipped another beat as her little brother stepped into view.

The branch fell from her hands. "Father! Kohaku!" She ran forward.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks and for once, she didn't care who saw them. Her family was alive! She embraced them both, sobbing. Her heart felt as if it would burst. Her world had just been given back to her. Killala, still in her big form, ran forwards and butted her head against Jinsea's side.

He pulled one arm from around Sango to caress the neko's head. "Have you been protecting her all this time, Killala? I knew I made a good choice with you." He said to the large neko. She purred and butted her head against him again.

Sango gathered herself and wiped the tears from her eyes. She opened her mouth to ask him how he had survived when an inu hanyou stepped into sight. The other Inus and the kitunes bowed to him as he walked towards them. Sango knew immediatley who he was. She pulled away from her father and brother and took two steps towards him.

"Prince Inuyasha." She dropped to the ground and bowed.

She looked up to see a surprised look on his face. "How do you know me, ningen?" he asked suspiciously.

"I bring news of Lady Kagome." She said.

Inuyasha stiffened. "What news? How did you meet her?"

"We were in the same prison cave with her. We made a plan to escape, but it went horribly wrong. We were captured at the border." She guestured back at Miroku and Shippo. "Lady Kagome made it across, but she came back and swore herself to Kouga in order to free us. She bade us to find you or your father Lord Inutashio. She needs your help."

"She swore herself to Kouga to save you?" He yelled. He looked furious.

"I told her not to do it. That we weren't worth it, but she did. I swore to her that I would find you or Lord Inutashio. Please. She told me that the two of you had a disagreement, Prince Inuyasha, but we have to save her!"

"We?" He asked.

Sango nodded. "Hai. She gave herself over to Kouga to save my life. I owe the Inu Clan a debt for her genorosity. If you go to rescue her, I will fight with you. To the death if I must."

"I do as well." Miroku called out. "I owe the same debt and would fight as well."

"What good would a monk be in a fight?" One of the black kitsunes called out.

"I'll show you." He turned away from the youkai and removed the prayer beads from his hand. "Shippo, go to Sango." The kitsune jumped off of his shoulder and ran to her.

He ripped off his glove and released the Kazaana. Sango had never seen it before and gasped with the inus and kitsunes as they witnessed its power. Rocks and branches flew through the air towards him. Entire trees were torn from the ground by their roots and sucked into the hole in his hand. After a moment, he flipped up the glove and harnessed it again with the beads. Everyone was speechless.

"That is a powerful weapon." A new voice said. She spun around and gasped again as an enormous three-tailed white kitsune stepped into the clearing. It was a living myth before her eyes. She was awed by the power of this youkai's energy.

"I agree." Her father and Inuyasha said at the same time.

"Lord Tonkouro. Would this be the kit you sought?" Inuyasha asked, geusturing at Shippo.

Tonkouro moved towards them and Shippo jumped into Sango's lap, trembling. The great kitsune lowered his giant head and sniffed. "Is your name Shippo, little one?"

"H-hai." Shippo stuttered fearfully.

Tonkouro gave him a toothy smile. "I swore to your father before he died that I would see you safe from harm. Do not be afraid of me, little one."

"You knew my father?" Shippo asked surprised.

"Hai. He was a good freind of mine. He lead your Clan for many years before you were born and traveled many places. He did me a favor and in exchange, I gave him an amulet and told him to contact me if he needed me. On the day the wolves attacked he summoned me, but I came too late. You were taken and he was mortally wounded. He bade me to save you, but it seems you have already been saved by the Lady Kagome." He looked at Inuyasha. "It seems the kitsunes are in your debt, Prince Inuyasha. Though the kit we sought is safe, we will still help you to release Kouga's prisoners and stop his destructive rampage."

Inuyasha looked releived. "Arigato, Lord Tonkouro."

"Prisoners?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha looked down at her. "Hai. We are releasing all of the prisoners Kouga has taken and if we get the chance we will kill him." He appraised her for a moment. "If you were his prisoner, you should be able to tell us what we need to know."

"Hai. I will give you any information I have."

Inuyasha looked around at the youkai. "Make camp. Rest well. We head out tonight! By morning we will reach the wolves door!" He called.

As the youkai broke up, Inuyasha guestured for a few of the Inus and one male grey kitsune foreward. Then he guestured for Miroku to come there as well, along with her father. The hanyou sat and the others followed suit, forming a small circle in the clearing.

"So. What can you tell us about the wolves inner defenses?" Inuyasha asked her.

Sango took a deep breath. "They are allied with the Spider Clan." She started with the most important news. There were gasps from the youkai."The spiders don't have much by the way of numbers, but they seem to have something over Kouga. He defers to the Queen almost like her is her servant. A very independent servant, but a servant all the same."

"Spiders are known for their dark magics and seductive charms." Tonkouro stated. "That may be what started it all."

Inuyasha looked at her. "Tell us more."

She described the wolves territory as best she could. Going into detail about the den and waves of defenses that she'd noticed during her imprisonment. Miroku joined in and told them what he had learned and together they were able to give them a clear veiw of the way the wolves inner society and defenses worked.

"The border partols may have been strengthened after our recent escape." Miroku was saying. "But there were three of them before, six to each."

"We've been preparing for much more than that, so even if they have been strengthened,, there shouldn't be much of a problem. " The grey kitsune, Takata said.

"Yes, but we didn't prepare for facing magic." The young Inu,#############, said.

"That is what we are for." Takata snapped. "We send in our illusions to fight with you, a second before you reach the patrols. If there are any magical traps, our illusions will trip them."

"Even so." The female Inu, Kasumi, countered. "Even if your illusion trip the traps, we will still have only seconds to silence the patrol's alarm. What if the magics are a type you've never encountered before? My trackers are the ones who will be the ones who will risk our lives behind your illusions." She looked as if she were getting angry.

"Peace, Kasumi." Inuyasha spoke soothingly. "You are the swiftest of all of us. And you are intelligent. I have no doubts that between you and Faryae you will be able to keep your trackers safe and accomplish your mission."

Tonkouro nodded. "And we have seen spider magic before. I will not go as far as to say we are experts, but I have trained with each and every kitsune here, save Shippo, so each one has at least a basic idea of what they will be facing. I've withheld none of my knowledge from them. If you remember, we were about to attack the wolves by ourselves before this alliance. We tried to repare for anything."

Kasumi blushed. "I meant no disrespect, elder. I am only concerned. I don't wish to die by some magical trick." She shot a glance a Faryae and everyone in the circle knew in that moment that there stood the root of her doubts. She was in love. "Nor do I wish to see the ones I care for meet that fate." She looked back at the circle. There was a longing in her eyes that Sango couldn't decipher.

"It's fine, Kasumi. Go to her. I understand. We will inform you of any modifications later." Inuyasha said softly.

Kasumi bowed until her nose nearly touched the ground, crossing one arm over her chest. "Arigato, my prince."

Inuyasha chuckled, as did Tonkouro. "We may all die on tomorrow. It make sense you would like a few moments with the one you love." Tonkouro said lightly. "Go, child."

She jumped up and ran to Faryae. Everyone watched as she took her hand and lead her into the trees. Sango looked back around and saw Inuyasha's face drawn in a painful mask. Wihout thinking about it, she reached forward and put a hand to his shoulder.

His head spapped around and he gave her a surprised look. "We will save Lady Kagome. I swear my life on it."

"Hai." Jinsea spoke. "You have never seen Kohaku and Sango fight together. They are truly a destructive force when they stand side-by-side in battle. Her strengths counter his weaknesses and vice-versa. I've seen them take down huge groups of youkai by themselves." He said proudly." He seemed to notice something. "Where are your weapons?"

Sango lowered her head. "They lie in the wolves den. They were taken from me when I was captured."

"No matter." He said lightly. "You can use mine until yours are collected."

Sango looked up at him, astonished. "But, father! You never let anyone touch your weapons."

He gave her a stern yet somehow gentle look. "I won't be fighting in the battle tomorrow. You have no weapons. It makes perfect sense, daughter."

"H- hai." She was still shocked, but she fought to hide it.

"When we make the raid to release the prisoners, I'd like you two to guide our warriors inside the wolves den. You can collect them then." Inuyasha said to her. He looked at her for a moment. "What do you know about the other prisoners?"

"Not much, we were kept secluded to our cave most of the time, but many are youkai." Then she repeated what she'd told Kagome what seemed like forever ago. "Kouga fancies himself a collector of sorts. If anyone fights well or amuses him in some way, he takes them. Most are meant to be sacrifices to Lumi, but the others I'm not sure about."

Inuyasha nodded. "We've been thinking he uses some to manipulate other clans into doing as he bids."

"They do seem very weathly for a clan of pillagers." Miroku stated calmly.

"Oh, they were weathly before. The wolves have one of the best placed territories." Tonkouro told them. "The mountains in the north were volcanic at one time and so there are many gem deposits there. In the past, they would trade gems and furs they collected for anything they needed. Thats why their attacks were so succesful. Everyone thought they were coming to trade and then they attacked without warning."

"At any rate, it doesn't matter how it started. It matters how we finish it." ############## said firmly.

Almost everyone laughed. Inuyasha still looked solemn, but he smiled at the grizzled old inu. "Well said, my freind."

And talk of the battle began. Sango quickly realized that the inus and kitsunes had already laid a solid battle plan in place. Her new part in the plan was minimal so she let her mind wander slightly. Looking around atg the inus, she began to feel the layers of grime and dirt that covered her body. She would really like to bathe and wash her suit now that there was a little time to relax.

"Prince Inuyasha. Lord Tonkouro." Miroku said, cutting through her thoughts. "May Sango, Shippo and I be excused? I would like to freshen up a bit before our meal."

Inuyasha looked surprised. "Of course."

"We passed a few hot springs a mile or so back. Your neko freind can take you." Tonkouro told them.

Sango gave a barely audible sigh of releif. "Arigato." She bobbed her head and stood.

Shippo leaped from her arms. "Yay! I haven't bathed in a hotspring in ages."

Sango smiled down at him. She glanced at Miroku to see him doing the same. "Hai. It will be a welcome repreive from cold river water." He said.

"We will return as quickly as possible." She promised, before they mounted Killala. "Ikuzo, my freind." She said to the giant neko, and they were off.

***** Page Break*****

Kagome sat with her fingers buried into the fur at the nape of a sleeping Hinata's neck. They'd returned to the den and the young youkai had asked her if she could return to her full youkai form. Kagome, upon seeing that Hinata was much more comforatable sleeping in that form had wished for the first time she could be a youkai. If only she could just simply change forms and loose herself in sleep to avoid her problems. As it was, she couldn't sleep at all. She remained wound like a top for hours, unable to relax or vent her anger and misery. Her hold on Hinata was all that stopped her from making a mad dash through the wolves den screaming her head off. If she made it past Hochki and Tenne, who were guarding her only exit that is.

She sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time and looked around the splendid room they'd given her after she'd returned from bathing. Apparently, Kouga was very serious about treating her like a queen now, because the room was decorated with elaboratley painted wall hangings, jewels and thick, luxurious furs. A large fireplace took up half of one wall. There was actually a desk of sorts carved from ebony rock of some kind that held silken thread writing papers and charcoal pencils. The papers themselves were a treasure. There was a large mirror slab like the one she'd had in her room in the western lands. It was currently facing the wall. Kagome hadn't been able to look at herself. Gas lamps lit the large room. She counted four. One would have been enough. Once again she wondered how a clan that was so wealthy had fallen to such lows.

Hinata woke and growled suddenly, drawing Kagome out of her thoughts. The young demoness moved in front of Kagome, facing the door, the fur on the ruff of her neck standing on end. Kagome jumped up and grabbed a long peice of firewood, holding it like a club as a large, white she-wolf stepped into the doorway. Hinata went immediatley submissive at the sight of her and crawled forwards, whimpering, to lick her chin. Kagome stayed where she was.

The she-wolf apraised her with her icy blue eyes. "Peace, miko. I shall not harm you." She said softly, lips curling into a toothy wolf smile.

Kagome didn't lower her weapon. "Who are you?" She snapped.

"I am Ayame, Queen of Wolves. I am Kouga's mate."

Kagome gasped. "His mate?" Kagome asked. She was shocked.

Ayame moved forwards and shifted into a beatiful young woman with fiery red hair. "Sit and I will tell you a story, miko Kagome. A story of a once great clan that fell prey to magicks and dark promises all because of some foolish young man who wanted to protect his family."

Kagome lowered her weapon. Her instict told her that Ayame would not hurt her, so she did as she was told and sat on the bed. Hinata jumped up and laid her head in Kagome's lap contentedly. Almost unconsciously, Kagome storked the fur between her ears. It was so easy to forget that the young wolf was a youkai and not a large dog while she was in this form.

Ayame watched her. "She's taken to you quickly."

Kagome looked down at Hinata. "Hai. I only just met her earlier today."

Ayame sat and reached over to stroke Hinata's back. "Thank you for being kind to her. She is my younger cousin." Kagome was surprised to hear this. Ayame continued. "It pleases me to see her taken care of. I heard what you did to defend her."

Kagome nodded. "When she swore herself to me, I swore to protect her from Kouga and the Black Queen."

"And you have done so." Then she sighed and leaned back. "Do you want to hear the story of the wolves, Kagome?" She asked with sorrow in her voice.

Kagome looked up at her. "I'm listening."

"Five years ago, we wolves had everything we desired. We had good lands, plentiful food and riches to spare. Kouga's father, Lord Hayao, passed peacefully in his sleep with his mate Queen Karu, leaving the wolves to his son. Kouga was young and headstrong, but he made a good leader for all of us. He and I met not long after he became our leader. It surprised me when he began courting me. I was a gift to his mother from my father further north. I was the youngest of his daughters and I served as one of Lady Karu's Lady's Maids before her passing. I never aspired to be a Queen. You can imagine how quickly he won me over." She said, smiling. "He was so much different back then. He was kind and gentle and even though he was our king, he would still sully his hands to help his wolves with menial tasks. He was the ideal leader. We were mated six months after he became our leader and I had everything I desired. A wonderful mate and a powerful clan at my feet. I was happy. A year after we were mated, I found myself pregnant. He was overjoyed with the news and immediatley began having things crafted for our child. It would have been born with everything it could have ever wanted." Kagome heard the sorrow in her voice at the wouds 'would have been'. "I was five months along when something went wrong. I became deathly ill and no matter what remedies the healers tried I couldn't break free of my sickness. Kouga was devestated. He sent word to many clans that I needed healers and that the one who cured me would be rewarded richly. None could until the day the Black Queen came. I was lost in the throws of a fever. My mind was gone when she approached him with the offer to try to save my life. He brought her to me and I am told she cast many spells and forced remedies down my throat for days on end. My fever finally broke and I was fully aware for the first time in weeks. She told me that my well state would not last long. My pregnancy was killing me. She told me that if I carried the child to term, it would kill me and the babe would likely not survive my passing. Its heart was weak. I was devestated to hear it, but I was determined to try to carry him to term. Kouga paid her richly and begged her to stay by my side. She agreed. She seemed so nice. She cared for me like I was her own child. She cast spells of strength and healing on the baby in my womb, trying to make his heart develop correctly. Nothing worked. At seven months I lost him." Tears filled her eyes. "He looked just like Kouga. He had my eyes. He was so beautiful even in death." She blinked away the tears and gathered herself with a heavy sigh. "Kouga was never the same. He became distant and hard, snapping at any who spoke to him. I was too lost in my sorrow to see what was happening until it was too late. The Black Queen, who had stayed even after our babe's passing, went to him and bewitched him somehow, infected him with the evil that she'd kept hidden from me. Now his eyes burn red with blood lust and he runs our clan into the ground on this useless crusade of dominance!" Her eyes focused back on Kagome and they were full of anger. "We were once a great and powerful clan. Now we have been reduced to pillagers and theives. Her evil has spread from Kouga to many of the other clan. I'm sure you've noticed these red-eyed shells of wolves."

Kagome nodded. "Hai. I've wondered at it many times."

"They are mere puppets to Kouga now. But the Black Queen is really the one holding the strings. I've investigated as much as I can, but I can't figure out how she's doing it. Somehow, she is keeping the real Kouga, my Kouga, a prisoner in his own mind and through him the others of the clan." She reached forwards and grasped Kagome's hand. "If you can help me figure out how it is she's keeping him under control, I swear I will make sure you are returned to your home. Whether it be the Western Lands or back to the future."

Kagome thought long and hard before answering. If Kouga really was being controlled and the wolves were being forced to do the things they had, then they were mere victims. If She could help to free them of their bonds then she would be helping the rest of the land too. No more raids and senseless killing. If she could do it.

She looked back up at Ayame. "I don't know how much I can do, Lady Ayame, but I swear I will do my best to help you." She said earnestly.

Ayame smiled in releif. "Thank you, Lady Kagome." She stood. "Rest now. You'll need your strength." She paused in the doorway and looked back at her. "If the Black Queen tries to approach you, do not drink anything she gives you. She is very sneaky with her potions."

Then she swept out of the room. Kagome lay back on the bed and stared into the fire. Hinata snuggled into her side. Fatigue swept over her in a rush and her last thought before falling asleep was that if she was able to help Ayame, it would be a miracle.


	16. Chapter 16

Impossible Love

Chapter Sixteen

YuriYaoiHet_ILoveEmAll

A/N :: I've dropped the other two tajia. I can't even remember what I named them. They weren't essential to the story. I'll go back and take them out of the story completley once it's finished. Just thought I'd let you all know.

Kagome awoke with a start. She sat up quickly and looked around her. Hinata, who had been curled up beside her, still in her full-youkai form, shifted quickly. Unlike more powerful youkai, she couldn't speak in her full youkai form.

"What is it, my Lady? What's wrong?" She asked fervently.

Kagome shook her head and buried her face in her hands. "It's nothing. It was just a dream." The last came out in a half sob.

Only a moment ago, she'd been with Inuyasha. They'd been laying beside each other surrounded by flowers. Her heart had been full of happiness. Oh, why had she had to wake up? Tears filled her eyes, spilling over. She sobbed harshly. Hinata wound her arms around her and pulled her into a hug. Kagome let her and for a time, she just cried. When she was finally able to gather herself she pulled away from the young demoness and wiped her face roughly with one of the furs on her bed.

She looked up at Hinata. "Sorry about that."

Hinata smiled at her. "It was needed. The Lady has been through so much. She cannot lock the bad away inside forever."

Kagome smiled at her, thankful for her words of understanding. She flopped back on the bed with a sigh and Hinata snuggled into her. Kagome was uncomfortable at first since Hinata hadn't shifted back into her full youkai form, but after a moment she wrapped her arms around the young demoness and tried to go back to sleep.

Her thoughts drifted back to Ayame's startling visit and the tale she'd had to tell. The red-eyed wolves were not in control of themselves, as she'd suspected when she'd killed Soura and Kimi. Remorse flooded her for the two youkai. Yes they's been mean to her, but it wasn't their fault. It wasn't even Kouga's fault. She would have a hard time letting go of her hate for the wolves' leader, but she knew she had to forgive him. The Black Queen was the one to blame.

She remembered what she'd agreed to do. How she was supposed to find out how to counteract the queen's magic was beyond her. Killing her would be the easiest way, but there was no way to tell if those she controlled would die with her. No matter what they had done while under the queen's control, they didn't deserve to die while not in their own minds. She shivered at the thought.

"Someone is coming!" Hinata hissed suddenly.

Kagome removed her arms from around her and they both jumped up. Hinata took a defensive position in front of her while Kagome grabbed her firewood club. They were both surprised when Ayame came around the corner, followed by a four more female youkai.

Ayame came to her side immediatley. "Kagome. I'm sorry. I tried to stop him!" She said desperatley.

Kagome lowered her club and reached out to her. "What's happened?"

"The Black Queen came to our chamber last night and told Kouga to hold your mating ceremony today." Kagome's heart stopped. "At noon as the sun touches the moonstone in the middle of our meeting area. It will be a public ceremony." Ayame looked torn betwen fury at Kouga and the Black Queen and concern for Kagome.

"Today?" She whispered. She sat down heavily on the side of the bed. "What do you mean by public ceremony?" She had a suspicion she already knew.

"He will mate you where the whole clan can see." She said gravely. "I tried every argument I knew to get them to postpone it a few days or at least make it private, but they wouldn't listen. Kouga threw me out of the chamber." Kagome saw tears in her eyes.

She felt numb, like she was in shock. "I won't do it. I don't care what arrangement I've made, I won't fucking do it!" Anger chased away the numbness. "He can just go fuck himself and the Black Queen can stew in a web. I don't care. They can't make me!"

"Oh, I woudn't be so sure of that, miko." An eerie voice said from the doorway. "They all spun around to see the Black Queen, Silina standing there. She'd masked her youkai energy so she could sneak up on them. Without warning, her hand shot out and a thick line of webbing flew from it, wrapping around Hinata.

"Lady Kagome!" She screamed in utter terror as Silina pulled her towards her with a swift jerk. Not a second later, she was suspended in midair by a magical web.

"Hinata!" Kagome rushed forwards. "Release her! Now!" She spat at Silina. She lifted the firewood club and rushed at her.

"Stop right there or she dies!" Silina yelled, snatching Hinata's head sideways roughly. She poised to sink her fangs into the young demoness' throat.

Kagome pulled her swing short and almost fell trying to stop her mad dash. She righted herself. "She is mine! Let her go!" Kagome screamed again.

Siliana smirked evilly. "No. I don't think I will." She ran her fingers over the now sobbing Hinata's face. "Such a fragile little thing." She slashed one claw along her cheek causing Hinata to cry out. Blood welled and began dripping towards the floor.

"Don't hurt her!" Kagome screamed. Fury pulsed through her, awakening her miko powers in a rush. She let the power pulse out to touch the Black Queen. Kagome knew It wouldn't actually hurt her without physical contact, but it would hopefully be enough.

Silina grabbed one of Hinata's arms and twisted it roughly. Hinata cried out in pain. "Stop that or I might just slip up and break her. Wouldn't want your precious pet mangled now would you?"

Ayame stepped forward. "I am Queen here! Release her!"

Siliana laughed. "You have no power over me!" She jerked her hand and Hinata's arm cracked loudly, the bones breaking. The young demoness screamed in agony and sobbed harder.

"STOP!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs. "Stop hurting her! What do you want?"

Siliana smiled. "Why I want you at the mating ceremony willing to give youself to Kouga." She said, dark humor giving her voice a strange lilt. Kagome gritted her teeth. "If you refuse, I'll kill your little pet and then we'll force you to do it anyway. Makes no difference to me." She licked the blood of of Hinata's cheek. "Mmm. Tastes good. I think I'd rather enjoy draining her." Hinata whimpered and tried to pull away from her tongue.

"Stop! I'll do it!" Kagome yelled.

Silina smiled evilly. "Oh, I know you will." She turned and began walking away, the web still holding Hinata floating in the air beside her.

"Wait! Give her back!" Kagome yelled, starting after her.

"Stop right there!"Silina grabbed Hinata's broken arm. "If I damage it too much more it will never heal corectly." Kagome jerked to a stop. "You can have her back after the ceremony. Just to be sure you don't try anything."

"Don't hurt her anymore!" Kagome pleaded, angry tears pricking at her eyes.

"Oh, I won't hurt her. The less damage I do now the more I get to do later if you attempt to cross me. Her death will not be swift if you try anything, let me assure you."

"Lady Kagome . . ." Hinata whimpered her name, still sobbing.

Kagome reached a hand out to her. "I'll save you, Hinata! I promise!"

Silina laughed. "Then you'd better start getting ready. The ceremony will start soon and you need to be presentable." Then she turned and walked away. Kagome met Hintata's eyes and held them until they rounded the corner of the stone corridor.

Kagome walked back into her room on shaky legs. Ayame and her four Lady's Maids were silent as she sat on the bed. She looked up at Ayame. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Ayame sat beside her and took her hand. "You did all you could. I'm the reason she was hurt. I should have kept my mouth shut."

Kagome was shaking with fear for Hinata and for what she had to do later today. She forced herself to calm down. "What do I need to do to get ready for the ceremony?" She asked after a moment.

Ayame snapped her fingers and the Lady's Maids came forward. "They will do everything. I'll fetch you something to wear." She said heavily, getting up. "I'll be back soon." She looked at her Lady's Maids. "Treat her as if she were me." She said to them and left.

"Please stand, my Lady, so we can help you to undress." One of the Lady's Maids said.

Kagome did so. One of them began combing her hair as she was undressed. They began powdering her skin and adorning her with make-up, something she'd never worn. She stood there silently and let them work on her. Despair warred with the numbness in her soul. Oh, Inuyasha, she thought closing her eyes against the tears she felt coming. Why did it have to come to this? I love you. A tear escaped. One of the youkai wiped it away with out a word.

***** Page Break *****

Sango pulled on her still damp suit. It felt so good to be clean after months of barely being able to dab at the layers of grime on her. Killala was dozing on a rock in the sun. Her wounds were still there, but they'd healed noticably. She crouched beside her oldest freind and stroked her head. Killala awoke with a mew and purred, rubbing into Sango's hand.

"Enjoying yourself?" She asked, smiling. Killala blinked up at her and purred.

"Sango?" Miroku's voice called from the other side of a strand of bushes. He and Shippo had gone to another hotspring to give her some privacy.

"I'm dressed." She called back.

Shippo darted around the bushes and jumped towards her. She opened her arms and caught him automatically, long used to his favorite greeting of a jumping hug. "Ready to head back?" She asked him.

"Hai! There are kits there for me to play with. I haven't had anyone to play with besides Killala in so long. I hope I can remember how!"

"I'm sure you will." Miroku told him, laying a hand on his head and ruffling his hair.

Sango smiled when Shippo jumped on the monk's head and ruffled his hair too. "Hey!" Miroku called out and reached up to grab him.

Shippo jumped to the ground and faced him. He pulled the skin of his eye down and stuck out his tongue. "Too slow, Miroku!"

"I'll show you slow!" Miroku yelled, affection lacing his tone.

He lunged at Shippo. The kit squeaked in surprise and tried to jump away, but Miroku caught him by the tail and lifted him into the air. "Hey! Lemme go!" Shippo yelled, trying to wriggle out of Miroku's grasp. Miroku started tickling him with his free hand. "No! Not that!" Shippo yelled, laughing loudly.

"Who's slow now?" Miroku asked over Shippo's laughter.

"Killala! Help!" Shippo called between laughs.

The neko yawned and jumped onto Miroku's shoulder. She nipped his ear. "Ouch!" Miroku cried, dropping Shippo. "That hurt!" He growled, glaring at the neko on his shoulder. She blinked at him and purred, rubbing her face against his cheek. "Alright. I forgive you." Miroku said with mock solemity and her reached up to stroke her.

Without warning, Shippo jumped up and clung to his robe. He started tickling the monk's sides. Miroku cried out and fell to the ground, laughing. Killala jumped out of the way, her ears flattening against her head.

"How do you like it?" Shippo asked loudly.

"Shippo! Stop!" Miroku yelled between laughs.

Sango watched them play, smiling. All of them were so happy now that they were free. Then she remembered the price of their freedom and her happy mood evaporated. They had yet to save Kagome. Only then would she truly enjoy being free.

"Sango. What's wrong?" Miroku asked her. Shippo had let him up.

She sighed. "I was just thinking about Kagome."

Shippo ran to her and jumped into her arms. "She should be here with us." He stated, hugging her.

"Hai. That she should." Miroku agreed, standing up and brushing the grass from his robe. "Should we head back now?"

Sango nodded. "If you are ready. I need to train with my father's weapons before the battle tomorrow."

"Aren't his the same kind as yours were?"

"Hai, but we each modify our own weapons to suit our own personal style. My father's is much different than mine so all of my techniques may not work. It could prove fatal in battle. That and I've been out of practice for months. It will feel good to try my hand again." She stated.

Killala transformed and they mounted her. Sango wordlessly urged her to hurry. Feeling her tension, the neko lengthened her stride and flew as fast as she could towards the camp. They were all silent, lost to their own thoughts. When they reached the camp, Sango was surprised to see a training session going on. A group of inu's and a few kitsunes were facing off against what Sango assumed were illusions. Her brother seemed to be teaching other youkai some of his techniques. She was surprised again when she saw two female kitsunes practicing with makeshift double ended staffs. They landed next to her father who was surrounded by kits.

He was telling them a story. "-and then, just as we thought we'd killed them all, another group of them came out of nowhere and attacked!" He leaned forwards, lifting his hands to look like claws.

One of the kits raised their hand. Jinsea nodded at her. "Where they hiding somewhere?" She asked fervently.

"We don't know. We think it was a patrol that we missed. They had us surrounded." He noticed Sango and guestured for her to come sit beside him. She did so. " I'm telling them about the poisonous toad clan we took down two years ago. "He told her. "Sango here," He started again. "lashed out with her sword and killed one of them before they could stop her and the battle began." He looked at Sango. "Why don't you finish telling the story?"

She was surprised, but all of the kits looked at her expectantly so she started. "They outnumbered us five to one. We were already tired from killing the rest of the clan, so they had the advantage. They were stronger, faster and had their youkai abilities while we only had our weapons and skill. That didn't stop us. They opened their pores and let out poisonous gases. Thankfully, all of had our masks." She grasped her and lifted it to show them. "A few minutes in, I was cut off from the others. Three of them rushed me. I slashed. Left! Right!" She swung her arms in the air in emphasis to her words. The kits were watching her with wide eyed intrest. Shippo moved forward and sat down to listen too. "I killed one, but one of the others had gotten behind me. He kicked me forwards. The other toad opened his mouth wide." She spread her arms in the air." I was flying right for it. I just knew I was going to be eaten." She paused for amoment. "Then, out of nowhere, father was there! He killed the one who was about to eat me. Then we killed the last one together." All the kits cheered.

Her father laughed. "Alright. You'd better get some play time in before you have to hide."

They jumped up and began talking loudly. A few of them thanked her and her father for the story, before following the rest of the kits to play. Shippo joined them and she and her father watched them play for a few moments. She looked up to find Miroku and caught him staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing." He sounded amused. "You're good with children. I guess I should have known by the way you treated Shippo."

She blushed. "Thank you." They held each other's gaze for a moment.

"What was it you needed, daughter?" Her father asked.

She broke the look she and Miroku were sharing and turned to him. "I was going to ask if I could train with your weapons. I'd like to test my skill with them before the battle."

"Of course." He began removing his weapons. He laid them on the ground in front of her.

"Thank you, father." She bowed her head.

He cupped her face and lifted it. "You don't have to thank me, Sango. It makes me proud to pass my weapons to you, my eldest."

"Pass?" She repeated. She was refused at his use of the word. The only time one 'passed' his weapons was when he deemed himself no longer fit for battle. "But father you're still the leader of our village. Still the top warrior."

He shook his head. "I won't be returning to the village with you. Neither will Kohaku. We can't."

She was shocked. "But, why?"

He sighed. "Do you remember the day you were taken? The day we were betrayed?"

"Hai." She let her anger at the great act of betrayal show in her voice. "I've thought of little else while I was imprisoned." The she looked back up at him. "I wanted to ask earlier, but how did you and Kohaku survive? I remember seeing you fall under that youkai . . ." Her voice trailed off.

"The thing is, Sango. I didn't survive. Neither did your brother." He said solemly.

Her heart stopped. "Then how are you sitting here now? How is Kohaku there training those youkai? How could you not have survived?" Her voice rose with her questions until she was all but screaming.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Have you ever heard of Prince Inuyasha's half brother, Prince Sesshomaru?"

Her heart was beating fast. "Hai. He has a sword that can bring back the dead." She whispered. She shook her head, trying to deny what she'd just learned. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Her father squeezed her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Sango. At least I got one more chance to tell you I love you. That's all that matters now."

She hugged him, crying into his chest. Her dead father was comforting her. Her head swam at the thought. "What's happened?" She heard Kohaku ask. She looked up through her tears to see him standing over them. She opened her arms and he dropped to his knees and hugged her. "What's wrong, sis?" He asked her.

"I've just told her." Their father answered.

Kohaku squeezed her tighter. "I'm so sorry, Sango. I never wanted to leave your side. You were always there for me when I needed you and I wasn't there for you. I thank Prince Sesshomaru a thousand times over for giving me the chance to tell you that. That was my last thought before I died." Sango sobbed harder at his words.

Their father moved forwards and wrapped his arms around them both, pulling his children into a hug. Sango moved one arm from around her brother so she could hug him as well. She squeezed them tightly and cried her broken heart out on her dead family's shoulders. She couldn't even begin to express how twisted that was.

After a time, she had cried herself out. She pulled back and wioed her tears away. "I'm sorry. I jus-"

Her father put a hand on her shoulder. "I cried too at the thought of loosing the two of you. Prince Sessomaru brought me back first. You were taken and Kohaku lay dead. I am not ashamed to admit it."

Kohaku nodded. "I've cried many times. For not being able to help you and for mother. I'll never see her again."

"I don't understand why you can't come back to the village. You'r here now. it doesn't matter if you died. No one has to know that." Sango told them.

Her father shook his head. "It would be unatural. I couldn't go back to the village and have your mother live with a dead husband and son. I don't think we age now. You and your mother and the rest of the villagers would age and die, while Kohaku and I lived on. I don't think I could bear it."

Sango's heart sank. "Then what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure." He told her. "Travel the land. Help anyone I come across. Kohaku is free to do as he chooses, so long as he doesn't return home."

"I've sworn it on my honor." Her brother told her.

She sighed. "It won't be the same without you there. i don't know if I'll be able to take it." She admitted.

"You are a strong woman, Sango. You are free to do as you wish. Your mother probably thinks you dead as well so it is entirely up to you whether or not you return."

She blinked. She'd never thought of it that way. The only future she'd been able to see herself follow if she ever escaped was to take her family's and the other tajai's bodies back to the village and start over again with her mother. Were there other options open to her now? Then she shook herself. The only thing in her future at the moment was rescuing Kagome. If she survived the battle she would think about her future then.

She looked around at the camp. She knew that every youkai here had probably heard their entire conversation and smelled her tears, but they were all politley acting as if nothing was happening. None of them were even looking in their direction. She suddnely felt the urge to get away from them though. She'd never been comforatable expessing her feelings in front of anyone but her father and brother.

Her eyes fell on Miroku. He was sitting down, far enough away that he probably hadn't heard much of the conversation. He was watching the inus and kitsunes train at the far side of the clearing. Killala was curled on his lap. She'd always wondered why she had taken to him so quickly. Her father was the only male she'd ever tolerated until him. Maybe it was because she sensed he had a good heart. Miroku had his flaws, but he was a wonderful person and had become a very close freind. He knew her like no one but her father and brother did. He always seemed to know what she was going to say or do, before she did it. Always seemed to sense when something was wrong, like earlier today. Would her future have a place for him in it. She hoped so. He glanced over suddenly and caught her staring at him. She blushed and averted her eyes. After a moment she peeked back up to see him smiling at her. She couldn't help but to smile back.

"How did you meet him?" Her father asked suddenly.

She started and looked around at her father. "We were in the same prison cave. He has been my companions since he was brought in. If he hadn't come when he did, I fear I would have gone crazy." She smiled, remembering how they'd met. that had been the first time anyone had ever groped her.

"You like him." Her father stated.

Sango was surprised, but she nodded. "Hai. He's my best freind besides you two and Killala."

"It's more than that." Her brother told her, a strange twinkle in his eye. "I can see it in your eyes. You like him, like him, don't you?"

She blushed. Was it true? Did she have feelings for Miroku as something other than a freind? They only been alone together for a few days, before Shippo was brought in and she'd been afraid and still angry at him for groping her, so they hadn't really talked. She knew about his past and he knew about hers. They had no secrets from one another. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by her being a female tajai. In fact, he seemed to like that about her. She glanced up at him to find him staring at her. She studied the handsome features she'd come to know so well. She realized she'd taken their freindship for granted until now. Would she be comforatable with it if they went in deperate ways after the battle never to see one another again?

To be honest, the answer was no. She didn't want to loose him. She wanted to stay by his side if he'd let her. Her heart felt like it was swelling up and she beamed at him. A strange look croosed his face. Then he smiled back.

"I suppose I do."

Thank you all for reviews. I'd really thought this story had died. I'm glad you guys still enjoy reading it.


	17. Chapter 17

Impossible Love

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Thanks for the japanese spelling and grammar tips. Seriously. I'd love to learn more of the language, but the only time I'm able to get online is to upload chaps so I can't really do the indepedent study of the language like I'd like too. I'll go back and fix Hinata's line along with everything else when I get more internet time. If you see anything else or have anymore tips, let me know. I can't do much about my spelling mistakes. I mean, I read over my chapters several times before I post them, but I'm always in a hurry when I work. I'll go back and spellcheck every chapter when I get some spellcheck software for my computer. I promise.I also realised that I got names for some of the characters mixed up so I'll fix that as well. Anyways. ON WITH THE FIC!

Inuyasha and Tonkouro lead their small army through the trees. They moved quickly, but silently in the darkness just before dawn. They'd left the kits an Jinsea, along with the injured Kitsune at the cave Sango and the others had found the previous night, just before dark and had spent the rest of the night circling the wolves territory. As they neared the border, the strong smell of wolf reached their nostrils. Tonkouro flicked his tails and Inuyasha signaled a halt. The elder kitsune could sense youkai energy further away than anyone and could now feel the aura of the patrolling wolves. He clicked his teeth sharply twice and Kasumi, Faryea and their trackers moved the the head of the pack. Takata and three other kitsune moved forwards with them.

Just as he was about to give the order to attack, a spark of powerful youkai energy flared very close to their left flank. Every member of the pack was immediatley on guard. Inuyasha, however, was confused. That energy was very familiar. For once, he didn't trust his senses. Why would he be here? He barked a sharp order for his army to keep position and darted towards the source of energy.

"Little brother." A deep, smooth voice said. "So I have reached you in time."

Inuyasha leapt down from the tree he was in and continued towards his half sibling. "Why are you here, Sesshomaru?" He asked as he approached him.

His half brother had grown even taller in his time away. He was now as tall and slender as their father. At his side, hung the Tenseiga and another sword that Inuyasha did not recognize. It smelled similar to the Tenseiga, but different at the same time. He shrugged off the questions in his mind. There would be time for that later.

Sesshomaru sent him a cold look. The affection they'd shared for one another when they were young had lessoned since the giving of the swords. This was the first time they'd spoken in two years.

"I am here to fight for the honor of the Inu Clan of the Western Lands." He raised his arms and snapped his teeth together with a sharp click.

Youkai energy flared to life behind him and there was movement in the trees. Inuyasha worked hard to conceal his surprise as a hundred or more low level and mixed youkai stepped into view. They all smelled of death, dirt and old bones, the scent that still lingered on Kohaku and Jinsea. Sesshomaru had brought them back from the dead. They all regarded him with a cold indifference, but made no move to strike.

Inuyasha looked back up at his brother. "What is this?"

Sesshomaru smirked. "My army. To supplement yours. If the Inu Clan goes to battle, so does its Prince."

This time, Inuyasha could not conceal his surprise. "You would fight with me, despite what has happened between us?"

Sesshomaru looked down at him and let some of the old affection flow into his eyes. "You are still my brother, Inuyasha. No matter what descisions our father makes. Whether in the giving you the stronger sword, or in killing my Lady Mother. He is our King. His descisions are not meant to be questioned by lesser beings as ourselves." His voice was hollow with sorrow, but the determination in his eyes never wavered. "I have learned that now."

Inuyasha held out his hand. "I would be honored to fight beside you, my brother. My future King." He let the old affection flow back into his eyes as well.

Sesshomaru gave him a true smile. He ignored Inuyasha's outstretched hand and pulled his little brother into a swift hug. "Come, brother." He said, pulling back. "Let us show the wolves what happens when they cross the Inu Clan of the Western Lands!"

Inuyasha nodded. His heart swelled to finally have his brother back at his side. "Hai, brother."

They set off towards where Inuyasha had left his army, with Sesshomaru's at their backs.

Kagome looked at herself in the mirror. One of the Lady's Maids had turned it around and she saw herself for the first time since she'd seen Inuyasha's mark on her neck. She'd lost weight, but that really wasn't surpising. After all, she'd barely eaten since she'd been kidnapped and the rations she'd been given in the caves had been meager at best. Last night a meal had been brought for her, but she'd let Hinata have most of it. Ayame's Lady's Maids had offered to prepare her something, but the mere thought of eating set her stomache on edge.

The dress Ayame had picked for her was very pretty. It was made of fur, which didn't surpise her. All the wolves wore furs, but she'd never seen fur quite like this. It was glossy and the strangest shade of blue-black. It shone in the light like marble and it was as smooth as silk to the touch on both sides. It hung down past her knees and the back was open. the only thing holding it up was a string of the same material tied to the back of her neck.

The Lady's Maids had powdered her skin with something that made her almost glimmer in the light from the lamps and the make-up they'd put on her made her eyes look larger and darker and her lips fuller. All in all, she did not look like the same person. If it weren't for the worried look on her reflection's face she'd swear there was someone else beneath the wood's surface looking back at her.

Normally, she'd feel elated to look so pretty. Now she felt like there was a hole eating her heart. She held her tears in check. She refused to allow Kouga and the Black Queen smell her sorrow. Yes her life might be over, but it would only give them more power over her if they knew how much she was hurting. After what they'd done to Hinata, she knew that any weakness she showed would be used against her.

At least if she figured out a way to break the Black Queen's hold on Kouga and the other affected wolves, she could be done with all of this. She could return to Inuyasha and try to salvage something. If not, then she would return home. It would be the only option she had left if he refused to forgive her. Almost without realizing it, she lifted her hand to cup the mark on her neck. How she longed to see him. To apologize for all the childish things she'd said to him. It didn't matter to her anymore if he apologized, just so long as he forgave her and gave her another chance.

She sensed someone coming down the corridor and, with a bit of concentration, she knew it was Ayame. It seemed strange, but now that she had reached a state of inner calm, her Miko powers seemed more willing to do her bidding. It was food for thought.

Ayame stopped just inside the doorway. "Kagome?" She said quietly.

Kagome turned. "Hai?"

Ayame stepped towards her and reached for her hand. "I just want you to know that though I do not wish this upon you, I will be honored to call you one of my bond-mates." She hesitated to gauge Kagome's reaction.

Kagome gave her a strained smile and squeezed her hand. " I know you don't wish this for me, Lady Ayame. You love Kouga still. How could you want him to lie with another?"

"Please just call me Ayame, Kagome. I don't feel like much of a 'Lady' right now. A true Queen would have seen this coming and would have been able to stop it. I've only been able to stand by and watch as my clan was pulled to ruin around me. I'm partially responsible for ruining so many lives. Including yours."

The sorrow Kagome felt emanating off of her was an echo of her own. Both had lost everything they'd held dear. Ayame was still fighting with everthing she had to get back some of what she'd lost. Kagome could only hope she would remain as strong.

She put a hand to Ayame's shoulder and squeezed it. "You are still a queen, Ayame. Once the Black Queen's influence is lifted you can make them remember. You can make it right."

Kagome didn't voice her own doubts about breaking the Black Queen's influence. She still hadn't been able to think of anything. Now more than ever, she missed the old lady Kiade's training and guidance.

She felt the young queen shudder and looked back up at her. She was shocked to see that she was crying. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I'll never be able to right the wrong they are about to do to you. Once you are bonded to us, you'll have to stay here. It will cause us all pain if you leave. I won't be able to keep my promise to you, Kagome!" She cried.

Kagome looked away as she processed Ayame's words. After today, her life outside this would be over. She would never be able to return to the Western Lands. She would never see, Iyayuma and find out if she was ok. She would never be able to thank Lady Megumi and Lord Inutashio for their hospitality. She would never find out if Shippo and the others had made it. And most importantly, she would never see Inuyasha again. Once again, her hand cupped the mark on her neck. It would be the only reminder she had of the life she'd had outside this.

After all the disappointments she'd suffered, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise that her dreams were to be dashed yet again. She couldn't even seem to find a tear to shed. The hole in her chest seemed to have absorbed them.

She looked back up at Ayame and saw that the young Queen had turned away from her and had her face in her hands. She was sobbing her heart out. It took Kagome a moment to realize why through her haze.

Since Ayame could no longer promise to take her home then she thought that Kagome would no longer help her. Kagome thought about it. Even though her dreams were shattered, did that mean she had to do the same to Ayame's? Could she stand by as the wolves slaughtered innocent people and youkai while she might be able to save them?

No. She could not. If she had the opportunity to save lives, then she would take it. Just because her life was over, didn't mean she couldn't help others. She could do some good and maybe make up for the mistakes she had made. The decision didn't take away her sorrow or make her feel any better, but it lessened a weight inside her that she hadn't known was there.

She didn't bother puzzling over it and instead put a hand to Ayame's shoulder. The demoness looked up at her, tears still trailing down her face. Kagome smiled at her.

"It doesn't matter. My promise still stands. If I can find a way to help you and your clan, I will."

Ayame looked shocked. "But . . . I have nothing to offer in return."

Kagome shrugged. "My promise still stands."

"You mean . . . you'll still help me?" Kagome nodded and then it was her turn to be shocked as the demoness threw out her arms and pulled her into a hug. "Domo arigato, Kagome!" She whispered.

Kagome hesitated a moment, before hugging her back. "Don't thank me yet. I still have to find a way to pull it off."

Ayame pulled back and looked at her. She still had tears in her eyes, but now they were bright with happiness. "Just saying you will try is enough."

Kagome smiled, but inwardly, she was astonished. After all this demoness had been through, how could she still be so optimistic? How could she put so much faith in something that she had no guarentee would work out?

She was distracted when she sensed someone coming down the corridor. The energy wasn't familiar so she tensed as she turned to look. Somehow, she knew whoever was about to come through the doorway was not a wolf. She sent a warning glance at Ayame, before standing.

A few moments later a very young spider youkai came around the corner. Ayame gasped lightly, but Kagome didn't look away from the spider-child. She was very tiny compared to the other spiders, only reaching Kagome's shoulder. She didn't seem surprised to see that Kagome was waiting for her. In fact, at a glance the spider seemed placid and her pupils were very dialated. She walked with a strange lurching gait that sent Kagome immediatley on edge. There was a small pouch tied to her waist that seemed to be moving.

She gave Kagome a very wide smile. "Ohayou. I'm Maya." Her voice was lilting and sweet, but slightly off in a way Kagome couldn't place. "You're the miko lady, right?" She asked moving forward.

"Hai." Kagome resisted the urge to back away. After all, it was only a child.

Maya stuck out her hand in a swift movement, startling her. "I want you to have this." She said, smiling wider.

Kagome looked down and saw that she was holding a necklace. She hesitated a moment, before picking it up, careful not to touch the spider-child's skin. She held it up and looked at it. It was just a small metal amulet on a peice of black thread. The amulet was in the shape of a strange symbol that Kagome didn't recognize. The metal it was made of was very old and smooth and almost soft to the touch. It was warm and actually felt kind of comforting in her palm.

"What does it mean?" She asked, pointing at the symbol.

Maya blinked, the large smile still stretching her face. "I heard it could be useful. They are making you do things you don't like, right?" Kagome nodded. "This will make it easier. It's for luck."

Kagome nodded. "Arigato." She made to put it down.

"No. You have to wear it." The spider-child insisted.

Kagome glanced a Ayame who shook her head the tiniest bit. "It won't look right with this dress, but I promise I'll wear it later."

The smile turned at once into an angry pout. "Put it on!" She snapped, her light airy voice turned dark and menacing.

Alarm bells were going of in Kagome's head, but she forced herself to remain calm. Showing her alarm or allowing this strange child to smell it would be bad. "I don't think I will."

"Fine! If you won't except my gift, then I guess I'll help mother play with your freind." She opened the pouch at her waist and pulled out a struggling baby rabbit. Kagome gasped. "I like playing with things. I don't get to often." She grabbed one on the rabbit's ears and stroked it. "I have lots of fun." Without warning she tightened her hand and yanked her arm, the baby rabbit's ear came with it.

Kagome couldn't help her sympathetic cry as the baby rabbit squealed in pain and began struggling harder. "Stop! What are you doing?" Ayame shreiked.

Maya smiled again and this time it was an evil grimace that contorted her face. "Playing." She tore off its other ear and then grasped it by two legs and began pulling them apart.

Kagome lifted the necklace up. "No, Kagome! Don't do it!" Ayame screamed.

Kagome slipped the necklace over her head. "Alright! I put it on! Now leave it alone!"

Maya snickered and continued stretching the rabbit out. "Never said I'd stop if you put it on."

Kagome could hear the baby rabbit's bones snapping over its squeals of pain and fright. She felt sick. "Let it go!"

She mentally reached into her core were her miko powers lay and called her power. She started to let it pulse, like she'd done before with the spider queen, but as soon as she did, something clicked inside of her. Her powers winked out of her reach like an invisible wall had just slammed down inside of her. Kagome lost all of her senses. For a moment, she was alone in darkness. There was no sound, no light. She could no longer feel the dress against her skin. She didn't have skin or a body. She was just there. With a suddenness that left her weak, she was back.

Just in time to watch the spider-child rip the rabbit in half. Kagome shreiked and stumbled backwards onto her bed beside Ayame to avoid the shower of blood and organs that spilled from the mangled little body that Maya still held in her hands. Ayame caught her and wrapped an arm around her with a strangled moan of disgust and fear. Kagome wrapped and arm around her as well and tried to get over the sudden nausea she felt.

"What just happened to me?" She asked in a shaky voice.

Maya laughed and let the two halves of the body fall to the floor with wet splats. "Every time you try to use those powers of yours that will happen." She began to lick the blood off of her hands.

Kagome shook her head. "You said it was for luck." Her head was swimming and her vision was still hazy.

"Yes. But I didn't say who's. It will make mother and Lord Kouga's job that much easier." She turned. "It's been fun playing, miko lady." Her voice was once more that of a child's and her sweet and innocent smile was back. Kagome tried to pull the necklace off but it immediatley tightened around her neck into a choker. She gasped and tried to break the thread, but it would not budge. "You can't take it off. I put the magic in it myself. Mother said I did a good job." Maya told her in that sweet voice. She beamed at them sweetly before walking away, her lurching gait slightly less pronounced.

Ayame looked back up at Kagome as soon as the spider child left the room. "Are you alright?"

Kagome shook her head. She started tugging at the necklace again. "See if you can break it."

Ayame immediatley reached for it. As soon as she touched the thread a jolt of what seemed like electrictly ran through the both of them. They were unable to scream or move save their bodies wild jerking from the shocks. After a few moments Ayame managed to pull her clenched fingers away form the thread and they both fell backwards on the bed, gasping for air.

A tinkling laugh reached their ears and they both struggled to sit up. "That was funny." Maya called, still laughing. Ayame managed it first and moved to help Kagome. Maya had apparently stopped to watch them.

"How did you know we'd try that?" Kagome snapped.

Maya grinned and a hint of the evil they now knew she possesed leaked into it. "I would have." She flipped her thin hair. "You really should stop messing around. You messed up your hair. Mother won't be happy if you don't look pretty." Then her smiled widened. "Or at least as pretty as you can look." Then she left again.

Kagome tried to sense with her powers to see if she'd really left this time, but as soon as she tried, she felt the curse in the necklace move to prevent it. She immediatley let go to try and avoid the numbing darkness, but she was once again plunged into nothing. This time, she waited patiently until she came back. As soon as she could see, hear and speak again she turned to Ayame, who had a concerned look on her face.

"How long was I unaware?" She asked, her voice shaky again. Though she'd been prepared for it, it was still disorienting to loose all of her senses.

"Only a few seconds. But where do you go?" Kagome told her about the numbing dark and how it robbed her of all of her senses. "I've never heard of anything like that."

Kagome shook her head. "Nor have I, but this is bad. I can't afford to be vunerable around Kouga or the Black Queen, even for a few seconds."

"Then you cannot try to use your powers."

Kagome gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm useless now! My powers are like breathing. I use them on a subconscious level sometimes."

Ayame looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean there's no telling when I'll loose myself. Reaching for my power is like breathing. I barely have to think about it. Just now, as soon as I felt the curse, I tried to stop but it was too late. The second I called my power it was too late!"

She was shaking violently. Her only defense, the only thing that could have helped her now, was gone. She'd sometimes cursed her miko powers, but they were a part of her. A soul deep freind that she realised she had taken for granted until now. She had no threat, no way of ensuring her own saftey or that of anyone else. She was just a ningen, surrounded by youkai and phenomenal magical power that she couldn't even begin to phathom. She shivered in fear. They could make her do anything now. They could hurt anyone right in front of her and she would be powerless to stop it. Now, more than ever she was glad that Shippo and the others had escaped.

VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!::::::::::::

Sorry it took so long, but I've been having some trouble making a difficult decision for this story. I can't decide so I'm giving YOU a vote my readers. Here is my question: SHOULD KOUGA LIVE OR DIE? Think about it before you answer. Kouga has done horrible things, but he was not in his right mind when he did them. He was and still is under the influence of the Black Queen. I really don't know what woud be best so I'm giving the choice to you and I'm sticking with the majority vote. I'm waiting a full week before I tally the votes, but don't wait to long before giving me your choice. I can't write anymore until I get your vote. You can just put LIVE or DIE in all caps in your review, or you can explain your choice. Either way is fine by me.


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